People, nature and business look set to benefit from report to Government
The Independent Panel on Forestry, set-up
to advise the Government on the future of England's forests and
woods, has today (8 December) published a progress report.
The Panel says it is working towards
recommendations that will increase the benefits generated from all
forests in England, including to the people that enjoy them, to
nature and to the businesses that rely on them. The recommendations
will be made in their final report to Government in spring
2012.
The Right Reverend James Jones Bishop of
Liverpool who chairs the Panel said: "Although our Panel was
born out of fierce debate over the future of the public forest
estate, what has become apparent through our work so far is that we
must look at the future of all woods and forests, not just the one
fifth managed by the Forestry Commission.
"Through the 42,000 responses to our
call for views, the public expressed their passion for forests as a
place of recreation, to connect with nature and as a vital source
of resources. These responses, along with the many people we have
met on our visits, have helped inform our report."
The report notes that while looking over a
landscape of different types and ages of trees in the Forest of
Dean, the Panel were told this was "a political landscape" shaped
by the national politics at the time of planting. The Panel has
identified in their progress report that future forestry policy
should reflect the economic and ecological timescales of
woodlands.
Responding directly to one of the issues it
was asked to address, the progress report states that the Panel
sees a continuing role for a national public forest estate in
England. The Panel sets out a broad vision of providing a wider
range of benefits to more people, and will explore the role of not
just the public forest estate but all woodlands, including those in
other ownerships, in delivering more for society, the environment
and the economy.
In speaking about the Panel's work over the
next few months Bishop James said: "For now all of our work,
especially in relation to the woods and forests outside of the
public forest estate, needs further development in the run up to
making recommendations in our final report next year. But as ever
the Panel are dedicated to further exploring these emerging
themes."
The Panel's progress report is available to
view in full on their website at http://www.defra.gov.uk/forestrypanel/
For Questions and Answers about the
Independent Panel on Forestry, please click Here
Notes to editors:
1. For more information about the
Independent Panel on Forestry including the terms
of reference, agreed with the Chair visit http://www.defra.gov.uk/forestrypanel/.
2. Caroline Spelman, Defra
Secretary of State, announced that an independent panel to
provide advice on forestry would be created on 17 February
2011.
3. To inform their progress report the
Panel held a 'call for views' where everyone, no matter what their
interest in forestry, was encouraged to submit their views. More
than 42,000 responses were received and analysed. The Panel have
also embarked on a series of visits to build up a good picture of
the varied nature of forests and woods, and the role they play in
communities and the economy. Full details can be found on the
website http://www.defra.gov.uk/forestrypanel/.
Issued by the Independent Panel on
Forestry. For more information contact Erin Casey
on 020 7238 6189 or erin.casey@naturalengland.org.uk