Under the proposals, a quarter of Scotland's forests, including the Carron Valley, could be leased for 75 years to private companies. Forestry Commission Trade Unions fear thousands of jobs are under threat, and the SNP Minister for the Environment, Mike Russell, cannot guarantee that the public will continue to enjoy the same access to Scotland's forest land for walking or mountain biking - putting leisure and tourism to the Carron Valley at threat.

This week the local Labour MSP also found the plans could seriously threaten Woods in and Around Town project funding, which Cumbernauld Community Park has benefited from in the past.

Cathie Craigie MSP said:

"Twenty-five years ago the Tories looked at the idea of selling off our forests and rejected this as a rotten idea.

"Privatising the forests would create uncertainty for Forestry Commission staff and threaten over 2000 jobs in the timber production sector across Scotland.

"The SNP have ridden roughshod over the interests of the people of Scotland on this issue. They estimate that an income of £200m would be generated by a 75-year lease, but this is just a fraction of what the Forestry Commission would bring in over the same period.

"The Forestry Commission has a proven track record in managing the forest estate and should continue to work to improve public access, footpaths, mountain bike trails, wildlife projects and timber supplies.

"I am also gravely concerned that private firms leasing forest land would be eligible to compete for grants under the Scotland Rural Development Programme. Local projects run by volunteers like Cumbernauld Park have benefited in the past with funding from Woods in and Around Town. If the SNP go ahead with this proposal to sell off our forests then groups like this will be in competition with private managers.

"The thousands of people who have signed petitions against these plans and I call on the SNP to drop these damaging plans from the Climate Change Bill."

Sign the petition here