Social benefits of forestry and the growing issue of climate change feature strongly in a newly-published strategy for publicly-funded science and innovation in forestry.
The strategy, which for the first time covers all four UK countries, aims to improve the base of scientific evidence for effective policy and practice in forestry, with increased emphasis on communciations and knowledge transfer.
Its publication follows consultation with a wide range of stakeholders. Feedback reflected the growing importance of forestry’s social benefits, plus the problem of climate change, on the political agenda.
The document also boosts the priority of innovation, with additional investment expected for special projects, partnerships and imaginative research programmes.
A new Research Strategy Management Board has been set up by the Forestry Commission to oversee implementation and revision of the plan, as well as to promote closer working between scientists, advisers, policy makers and those involved in forestry.
Tim Rollinson, director-general of the Forestry Commission, said: “These are important changes in direction that will mean reducing our current commitments in some areas, and this will require some hard choices and very careful planning.”
He said research activity needed to be better integrated with other land-based activities and more investment should be made in social and economic research. He also said it was crucial to improve knowledge of climate change.
