FEATURE FORESTRY & TIMBER POLICY
Boosting UK woodlands
The 2020 edition of the British Woodlands Survey (BWS), funded by the Forestry Commission and co-ordinated by the Sylva Foundation, was published in time to inform government’s England Tree Strategy and the third Climate Change Risk Assessment.
W
ith environmental change as its main theme, the
Standard. The report’s authors highlighted that a minority (31%) of
research team from Sylva Foundation and Forest
respondents had a UKFS management plan in place.
Research explored awareness, action, and aspiration among the private sector which owns 74% of forested
Looking to the future, many respondents indicated that they might consider creating new woodlands and planting new hedgerows or
land in Britain. Attracting the views of 1,055 woodland owners,
agroforestry systems in the longer-term. In the short-term, however,
agents and forestry professionals, representing 3% of privately-
complexities of regulations and bureaucratic grants were seen as
owned woodland in Britain.
significant hurdles preventing more landowners from considering
BWS gathers evidence about Britain’s woodlands and those who care for them. The BWS aims to provide an evidence base
woodland creation. This is a concern given ambitious woodland creation plans to plant 30,000ha of trees across the UK by 2025.
on which future policies and practice can be developed. The first
The report has been published in time to inform government’s
British Woodlands Survey was held in 2012 which itself built upon an
England Tree Strategy and the third Climate Change Risk Assessment,
important series of surveys undertaken by the Department of Land
and it will underpin the work of the Forestry and Climate Change
Economy at the University of Cambridge since 1963. The intention
working group which oversees the delivery of an action plan promoting
was always that a major survey was repeated every five years, while
adaptation and resilience in England.
any number of additional surveys on specific themes may be run as required.
The report’s lead author Dr Gabriel Hemery, who is also CEO of the Sylva Foundation, commented: “There are a huge number of interesting
Hand-in-hand with increasing awareness and observation of
findings in the report, but if I was to pick one to highlight it would be
environmental threats, the report highlighted concerns that many
how we have unearthed a very strong relationship between current
of those who own or manage woodlands are not actively planning
activity and future intended actions among land managers. This is
or managing in ways which would make woodlands more resilient in
significant because it points to the importance of investing more in
future. For example, a minority of respondents had considered local
advocacy and support for those who own or manage our woodlands.
climate change projections or studied the soils that support their
The benefits will be realised not only in their woodlands, but by nature
woodlands. A key indicator that an owner or manager has considered
and by society as a whole.”
threats from environmental change while planning to make a woodland more resilient is having a management plan compliant with UK Forestry
Timber Trader UK Magazine
Winter 2020-2021
Forestry Commission Chair Sir William Worsley said: “This independent report, which we commissioned, highlights how important
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