These strategies are a requirement that has now been added into the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act. http://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2019/13/part/4/crossheading/forestry-and-woodland-strategy/enacted
Most councils already have a FWS and these are normally (but not always) accompanied by spatial data. Some of the strategies are produced jointly across Councils, e.g. Stirling & Clackmannanshire, Edinburgh & Lothians, Glasgow Clyde Valley.
Generally, the FWS datasets contain similar attribution which identifies the FWS Classification, or the potential areas for woodland expansion. The 'suitability' attribute is usually along the lines of: Preferred, Potential, Sensitive, Unsuitable.
Some of the councils have produced a few layers of data for their FWS which might apply specifically to woodland planting types, e.g. a separate FWS layer for native woodlands or for productive woodlands.
Please note the data has been created using data of different scales (regional/local) and has been created as a high level assessment tool. The data should be viewed NO larger than 1:25000. Identification as a preferred area does not imply automatic approval of woodland planting proposals. Applications will be assessed based on site conditions. To be used in conjunction with the published supplementary guidance.
