Our monthly policy and research blog updates you on the latest work at the Institute and how you can get involved.
Institute News
Our Position Paper on the Forestry Skills Shortage
In early October we published a position paper on the skills crisis in forestry which needs urgent action. We sent it to ministers across the UK and shared it widely. We have had a very positive response, with many echoing our concerns, and we are confident it captures the challenges well – now we need governments, organisations and individuals to commit to action.
Read the executive summary or the full paper here.
CLA Forestry Conference
The Institute’s Policy Manager attended the CLA forestry conference in Newbury. It was a great day with some excellent presentations, passionate discussions and a lot of positive energy about opportunities for woodland creation. It was also great to be out in person meeting members, colleagues, policymakers, woodland owners and practitioners. Among the chairs and presenters were Jane Hull MICFor of Forest Research, Dougal Driver FICFor CEnv of Grown in Britain, Nina Williams MICFor of Cowdray Estate and Dr Hilary Allison MICFor as the headline closing speaker. We look forward to working more closely with the CLA as the need for farming and forestry to work together becomes ever more pressing.
Consultation Responses
There are two important consultations open at the moment that the Institute is planning a response to, and we are calling on members to give us their thoughts. These are the GB Plant Biosecurity Strategy and the UKWAS consultation – see the consultations page for more information or refer to the mailer sent to all members on 20 October.
Consultations page
Upcoming Events, Meetings & Groups
In the coming weeks, our Executive Director, Shireen Chambers MBE FICFor, is meeting with Welsh and Scottish ministers and will be pressing them on skills, and on the importance of the professional forestry voice in governance as well as practice, particularly in Wales where a new group is replacing the Woodland Strategy Advisory Panel. We are also joining a CIEEM-led group on Environmental Net Gain and are looking forward to the two-day Trees for the Future conference in Birmingham on 3 and 4 November, where Shireen Chambers MBE FICFor and Geraint Richards MVO FICFor, Institute Vice President, will both be speaking.
Sector News
Consultations
- Natural Resources Wales: Regulatory Fees and Charges for 2022 onwards – respond
Research
- Forest Research publish forestry facts and figures report for 2021 – read
- Record breaking volumes of timber being imported in the UK – read
- Environmental professionals survey – read
- Conference proceedings from Treescapes – read
- Report on the timber industry and the housing crisis – read
Funding & Regulation
- Glastir Woodland Creation window 11 now open – view
- Defra’s Woodlands for Water project – view
- Forestry Commission: grants and regulations news (21 October) – view
- Wales woodland creation planning pilot scheme – view
- Natural Resources Wales issue reminder on changes to EIAs and felling licenses – view
