Members' Business — S6M-11728 Ariane Burgess: Celebrating Scotland's National Native Woodlands

That the Parliament notes the 10th anniversary, on 29 January 2024, of Scots pine becoming Scotland's national tree; understands that Caledonian pinewoods are unique to Scotland, and are the natural home of Scots pine; considers that Scotland is globally important for Caledonian pinewoods and Atlantic rainforest, and therefore has a special responsibility to protect and restore them; understands that both types of woodland support a wealth of biodiversity and can help mitigate against the impacts of climate change; notes the belief that browsing by deer and the spread of invasive non-native species means that many Caledonian pinewoods and Atlantic rainforests will not survive without urgent action; believes that these pressures impact all native woodlands across Scotland; notes the support for landscape-scale deer management and targeted grant funding to enable their restoration; further notes the view that Forestry and Land Scotland should continue to take a leadership role in this restoration, especially in the removal of invasive non-native species such as rhododendron; notes what it sees as the growing number of private landowners involved in pinewood and rainforest restoration, including at Glen Loyne in East Glen Quoich, Highlands, and thanks environmental groups like Trees for Life, Woodland Trust Scotland and Plantlife, as well as community groups such as Arkaig Community Forest in the Highlands, Langholm Initiative in the Borders, Highland Perthshire Communities Land Trust, Argyll Coast and Communities Trust, and others in the Community Woodlands Association, for their efforts to restore Scotland's native woodlands.