This following section is an extract from the Land Reform Consultation.
"Proposal 5: A more proactive role for public sector land management
Just over 16.5% of land in Scotland is owned by either the Scottish Government or local authorities. The Review Group and others have applauded the work of Forest Enterprise Scotland (FES) and Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS) in facilitating the transfer of land into community ownership. Recent work by FES to establish starter farms for new entrants to farming has also been very successful.
It is clear public land should be managed for the greatest overall benefit, balancing a number of differing and sometimes conflicting public needs. We believe this should be done in a proactive way across the public sector, to deliver greater benefits across a wide range of policy areas and across the whole of Scotland. However, the legal framework for some public bodies can be a significant constraint on the range of operations that they can undertake to deliver these benefits.
Having a Land Rights and Responsibilities Policy will help promote this proactive approach. However, we also need to make sure that public sector bodies have the range of powers and the flexibility they need to take a wider, outcomes based approach to land management.
We are considering a range of ways to improve the ability of public sector organisations, such as Forestry Commission Scotland, to manage public land to promote social, economic and environmental outcomes in the public interest. We would welcome your thoughts on how best to achieve this."