SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE

foreword to biodiversity

Biodiversity is the variety of life. If we allow this variety to decline our natural heritage and quality of life will also decline. We would lose a major part of our identity and a primary reason why people enjoy living and working in, and visiting, Scotland.

Protecting Scottish biodiversity must become an integral part of all our daily lives and in particular the work we carry out.

The trunk road network represents a considerable land holding. As one would expect, it reaches most areas of Scotland and is an important part of our tourism asset. It follows, then, that those who manage the trunk road network should have, as one of their objectives, the protection of natural heritage and Scottish biodiversity. By protecting biodiversity on the network we are helping to protect Scottish biodiversity as a whole, contributing to the quality of life in Scotland and ultimately the industries based on this quality.

It is our aim to set a challenging standard by working with local communities and their Local Biodiversity Action Plans to protect biodiversity and help inspire other industries to prepare similar plans.

This document is being circulated widely as a Review for Discussion. I very much hope you find time to read it and time to respond. Your views will be of great value to me in formulating a practical policy to protect our biodiversity.

Sarah Boyack MSP