Despite an increasingly compelling case for expanding productive forestry and greater use of wood and wood products in the UK, there are mounting concerns within the UK forest products sector about the future for forestry, especially in the public sector in England, Wales and Scotland, where the Forestry Commission manages the public forest estate.
In England, the government established an Advisory Panel to look into the future ownership and management of the public forest estate and the future of forestry policy in England. This development was announced following the immense public backlash that resulted from the government’s ill-advised plans to sell off the public forest estate in England.
The Panel’s Interim Report has just been published; in general terms it is well-balanced and acknowledges the economic importance of commercial forestry operations and the wood processing sector’s role in supporting the economy, especially in rural areas. For a change, this is a report on forestry that makes heartening reading.
However, there remains much work for the Panel to complete before it produces its final report in the spring. Whilst its recommendations are keenly awaited by UK wood processors, even more important will be the government’s response. Will we see a renaissance in productive forestry, or is that too much to hope for?
In Wales, the Welsh government is establishing a single environment body, which will see the amalgamation of three dissimilar agencies – Forestry Commission Wales, Environment Agency Wales and the Countryside Council for Wales.
Businesses are very concerned that this new body may have even less focus on commercial conifer forestry than is currently the case and the impact this would have on wood supply, business confidence, investment and employment in Wales. To date, little detail has emerged about how forestry will be regarded. Representations to the Welsh government continue…
In Scotland, where many might think there isn’t too much to worry about in forestry, things are going awry. Despite welcome interest in the sector by the Scottish government, including ambitious planting targets, (10,000 hectares per year), the worrying fact is that new planting levels are falling woefully short of the target and must be urgently addressed if business confidence is not to suffer. These concerns are being discussed with Scottish ministers.
If all of this was not enough to give us sleepless nights, there is the continued threat to UK wood supply from the burgeoning wood energy sector, which receives generous government subsidies.
Whilst some argue that it is better to burn wood than coal to generate electricity, the truth of the matter is that it is far better to use wood for product manufacture, rather than burning it in large-scale electricity generating stations.
Industry is redoubling its efforts to educate and inform the Westminster government and its advisers, but it is an uphill struggle, with government constantly reminding us that it must ‘keep the lights on’, but at what cost?
Will our governments do the right thing for forestry and forest products in the UK?
David Sulman is executive director of the UK Forest Products Association.
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