Scotland's Forestry Strategy 2019-29

The vision should also recognise the value of landscape-scale conservation.
The integration with other land uses is welcome but may not address the problem of habitat fragmentation and connectivity that is associated with biodiversity
declines, and hard-edged, single-use landscapes.

But not necessarily in the right order!
The second objective you have listed should be the first objective – “Protect and enhance Scotland’s valuable natural assets, ensuring that our forests and woodlands are resilient and contribute to a healthy and high-quality environment”.
Without a stable and diverse natural environment, the economic and social case is
weakened. The economic and social dimension has to exist within a high-quality environment as it is the foundation for the land we live in.

There should be a much greater emphasis upon Landscape Quality, including Wild Deer, and Well-being.
Regarding landscape the hard edge produced by fencing can be reduced with design, and it would be good to see a commitment to create more treeline woodland in Scotland. It is a part of the natural environment that is missing in most mountain landscapes and is a natural asset that can be encouraged and enhanced.
This ties in with wild deer management. Effective control of deer populations to protect trees and other vegetation, without resorting to fencing, is a point that should be emphasised.
There should also be more emphasis, during planting and restructuring, on the maintenance and improvement of existing paths and the creation of new paths for access, as part of Well-being. This is an important part of multipurpose forestry, in both the state and private sector.
(In this respect it is not the creation of wide forest tracks, but of more walkers’ paths allowing access through plantations and on to the hill beyond, following desire lines and including historic and heritage routes, which are important cultural components of the landscape.

Priority 1 and 2 are the basis on which to take forward forestry in the uplands of Scotland - sustainable forest management and sensitive expansion and restocking.
Action is most needed with respect to Priority 4, especially wild deer management as the impact on vegetation of current numbers of wild deer is not sustainable, and
Priority 7 increasing the natural capital of Scotland’s woodlands in the uplands, with emphasis on natural treelines. These two priorities will have significant effect on upland landscapes and wildlife.

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There is little mention of the important part that forests play as habitat for wildlife - other than Deer. Since the major aim is to increase the proportion of land that is tree-covered, there should be a major emphasis upon ensuring sufficient mix of species and diverse, sensitive, planting policies to ensure that the habitats created are best-suited to our native wildlife.