JOHN Swinney has opened a £26 million glasshouse to help grow more trees in a bid to tackle climate change.
Newton Tree Nursery near Elgin, Moray, first opened in 1931 and the new glasshouse aims to support Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) to almost treble its tree production – from seven million to nearly 20 million trees per year by 2029.
The upgrade, funded with £20m from the Scottish Government and £6m from FLS, contributes to meeting the Government’s woodland creation targets and will help support the sustainable management of national forests and land.
Seedling operations at the redeveloped tree nursery began in March, and 12m trees have already been established within the UK’s largest and most advanced tree-growing glasshouse.
The facility “sets a new standard for bio-secure, sustainable, and high-volume forest nursery production”, according to the Scottish Government, and it is also hoped it will boost the rural economy.
It will ensure an adequate supply of high-quality trees is available to supply the publicly-managed forests of Scotland, with those forests supporting rural economies, providing flood mitigation, improving biodiversity and sequestering carbon.
Swinney said: “Scotland’s world-renowned forests and woodlands are a natural powerhouse, and one of the most important resources we have to tackle the climate emergency.
“Our investment in this state-of-the-art glasshouse will not only contribute to environmental sustainability and help to restore habitats, but it will also support rural jobs and the sustainable use of timber in the construction industry.
“The Newton Tree Nursery project is a national asset, powering Scotland’s green recovery, forestry resilience, and environmental goals for decades to come.
“Tackling the climate emergency and growing Scotland’s economy are two of my Government’s top priorities and together they go hand in hand.
“We cannot do one without the other, and innovative, industry-leading facilities like the Newton Tree Nursery will play a vital role in achieving these goals.”
FLS chief executive Kevin Quinlan said: “Newton Nursery represents a major investment by the Scottish Government in the future of forestry in Scotland.
“It strengthens FLS's ability to supply young trees at the scale and standard needed to support a resilient, productive and sustainable forest resource.
“This is especially important for the timber industry, which continues to grow as Scotland looks to reduce reliance on imports and embrace timber as a low-carbon material of the future.
“By increasing capacity at Newton, we’re investing at the very start of that supply chain, ensuring a consistent supply of high-quality planting stock for years to come.”
