Forest renaissance - The role of state forestry in Britain ... - WWF UK

FOREST RENAISSANCE • THE ROLE OF STATE FORESTRY IN BRITAIN 1919-2050: A DISCUSSION PAPERForeword by David Bills,Director General, ForestryCommissionThe future management of our forests sits atan important crossroads at the beginning ofthe 21st century. The Forestry Commission issplitting its GB Forest Enterprise to createthree new agencies, each dedicated tomanaging the public woods and forests inEngland, Scotland and Wales. We believe thisaction in the spirit of devolution will providemore focused support for the three nationalforestry strategies.Our predecessors, in founding the ForestryCommission over 80 years ago – and thesubsequent generations of staff since then –have passed on an extensive and varied legacyof forests across Great Britain. I am veryencouraged, and I know many of our staff willbe too, by the recognition this report makesto the considerable achievements made overthe last 50 years, and particularly the changesthat have been made in the past 10 years.The authors recognise that more needs to bedone, in response to new and changingexpectations of stakeholders and society atlarge. The report sets out some of the keychallenges for the new agencies and will,I know, stimulate discussion about how ourpublic woods and forests might be managedover the next 50 years.I welcome this timely piece of thinking on thefuture development of the forest estatesmanaged by the Forestry Commission inEngland, Scotland and Wales.Foreword by Robert Napier,Chief Executive, World WildlifeFund UKThis report was commissioned jointly by theForestry Commission and WWF in response tothe World Summit on SustainableDevelopment, in order to report on progresssince the Earth Summit in 1992 and toprovide a vision for the future of state forestsand the forest landscape here in the UK.The third chapter reflects many of WWF’saspirations, as well as our forests programmetargets under the headings of Protect, Manageand Restore.With our new devolved countrystructure, we are ideally placed to monitor,recommend and help deliver forest policieswhich stop, and eventually reverse, theaccelerating degradation of our planet’snatural environment, and help build a futurein which humans live in harmony withnature.Through the UK government’s support forcredible forest certification and the conceptof forest landscape restoration, vitallyimportant steps have been taken over the last10 years which have a wider, internationalresonance and have helped the profile ofWWF’s global conservation work andultimately the delivery of our targets. On thebasis of this performance, we hope that theForestry Commission can continue its leadingrole in influencing the management not justof its own forest estate, but also of the UK’swider forest landscape.2

FOREST RENAISSANCE • THE ROLE OF STATE FORESTRY IN BRITAIN 1919-2050: A DISCUSSION PAPERSummary of key findings andconclusionsThe state forest lands of England,Scotland and Wales are ideally placed todeliver desired multiple benefits fromforest management in the most costeffectiveway. The establishment of threenew country-focused public sectorwoodland agencies will provide a uniqueopportunity to inject new stimulus andmomentum into the management of stateforests for public benefits.The British public has shown anoverwhelming wish for forests and woodlandsto supply more than just timber, and theirsocial and environmental importance isrecognised: access, recreation, conservation,soil protection and supply of non-timberforest products. The Westminster Parliament,the National Assembly for Wales and theScottish Executive all agree that we need ahigh-quality forest estate to fulfil many globaltreaty commitments such as the Conventionon Biological Diversity and the FrameworkConvention on Climate Change.Private and company-owned forests can helpto supply these wider goods and services. Butcommercial forestry operations cannot beresponsible for all non-timber benefits, manyof which conflict with wood and fibreproduction. The state-owned forest estate isthe most effective and efficient vehicle todeliver many of the multiple benefits fromforests.In the past, state forestry has drawn criticismfrom environmental groups and localcommunities, particularly for its reliance onlarge conifer plantations. Our analysis showsthat Forest Enterprise, as manager of theForestry Commission estate, has made muchprogress towards meeting the UK’s 1992 EarthSummit commitments, including certificationof all its forests to Forest Stewardship Councilstandards, which was recognised by WWF as aGift to the Earth.We believe that these changesare not only real and substantial, but alsothat forestry ministers and the ForestryCommission should continue with moreradical changes, leading to a genuinerenaissance in the extent and quality offorests and woodlands in the threecountries.Until now, progress has been incremental andfunded largely on profits from timber sales.This requires a delicate balancing act, whichis becoming impossible to sustain at a timewhen, due to global pressures, the value ofBritish timber sales has fallen by 40 per centin just a few years. Changes in the globalmarket mean that state forests are nolonger profitable enough to support all theother activities demanded by the public andpoliticians. During our research for thisreport, we found many Forest Enterprise staffmembers feeling trapped between theconflicting demands of an organisation thatsome stakeholders see as a commercialcompany, while others view it as a not-forprofitenterprise delivering social andenvironmental benefits.A proportion of the wider benefits fromforests will continue to need state funding, asis the case with every developed country.Forest Enterprise is in the unique positionof being able to offset a substantialproportion of these costs through itsrevenue generating activities. What it needsnow is a strong and matching commitmentfrom ministers: to support the furtherdevelopment of a multi-purpose public forestestate. The three new agencies will requirenew and inspirational mandates and thenecessary resources to make the concept areality in the 21st century.“Changes in the globalmarket mean that stateforests are no longerprofitable...”5

FOREST RENAISSANCE • THE ROLE OF STATE FORESTRY IN BRITAIN 1919-2050: A DISCUSSION PAPER“Listening to people:implementing activeplans for communityengagement...”“Urban renewal:developing newcommunity woodlandsclose to people living indisadvantagedcommunities withdespoiled landscapes.”Some key 21st century challenges for thenew public forest agencies• Forest restoration at a landscape scale:work with partners to contribute to anincrease in forest cover to at least 15 percent of Britain’s land area, with a minimumtarget of 30 per cent for some localities,including 10 major new forest landscapesin England along with a greatercontribution to Community Forests; morecommunity forests on derelict land inSouth Wales; and a major role in thedevelopment of state forests within theCentral Scotland Forest and around othermajor urban areas, along with a furtherextension of native woodlands.• A consensus approach: developingparticipatory approaches that help agree abalance between different land uses withina landscape, in partnership with both localand more distant interest groups, torecreate and maintain high-quality forestedlandscapes throughout England, Scotlandand Wales including both forest and nonforesthabitats. Partnerships might alsofacilitate the production of larger grantpackaging through combined projects andmatched funds, thus creating the resourcesneeded to make vision into reality.• Recreating “a wilderness experience”:building up large core areas of open access,near to nature, woodland (up to andsometimes exceeding 10,000 hectares) inEngland, Scotland and Wales comprising amosaic of woodland and other habitatsserviced by appropriate access andinterpretation opportunities to facilitatelearning and healthy lifestyles, includingwhere appropriate conversion ofplantations to more natural woodlands. Akey target for biodiversity conservation isto move away from isolated protected sitestowards networks of protected areas,buffer zones and corridors.• Listening to people: implementing activeplans for community engagement, andaspiring to become “partners of firstchoice” for key projects.• Reconnecting people to woodland: bytaking a leading role through innovativeand exciting developments incommunication, interpretation, education,access and recreation opportunities, aimingto reconnect, re-establish and developpeople’s spiritual and cultural links withwoodlands.• Supporting a sustainable ruraleconomy: developing strategies to ensurethe sustainability of harvest of minorforest products including innovation in useof different timbers and in the design ofproducts, development of wood as anenergy source, recreational uses andencouragement of multi-purpose woodlandmanagement.• Urban renewal: developing newcommunity woodlands close to peopleliving in disadvantaged communities withdespoiled landscapes.• Sustainable leisure and recreationaldevelopment: creating innovative,integrated and sustainable recreationalopportunities and leisure facilities in woodsand forests, which provide a wholespectrum of wellbeing, spiritual and healthbenefits to local residents and visitors.• Beyond certification: providing aleadership role in promoting forestcertification at the national level,increasing the access to and uptake ofcredible certification by small forestowners, and also looking beyondcertification to how forest managementmight continue to improve in the future.6

FOREST RENAISSANCE • THE ROLE OF STATE FORESTRY IN BRITAIN 1919-2050: A DISCUSSION PAPERWhy do we need a ForestRenaissance?Why forests?Forests supply us with more than just timberand fibre. Well-managed, healthy forests alsoprovide biodiversity conservation, soilstabilisation, hydrological functions,mitigation of climate change, employment,livelihood opportunities, health and spiritualwellbeing, leisure and recreational space, andcultural and aesthetic values.We start from a weak position. Britain hasundergone deforestation over many centuries:most natural forests have long disappearedand we depend on imports for more than 80per cent of timber needs. Although largeforests were re-established in the 20thcentury, we remain one of the least forestedEuropean countries, and many forests areactually plantations of non-native species. Yetthere is a real potential to change. Over amillion hectares – more than a third of ourforests – are owned by the state in England,Scotland and Wales, and managed by ForestEnterprise. FE was established in the year ofthe Earth Summit, making it uniquely placedto implement Britain’s forest commitmentsand develop a new vision and reality for ourforest estate and its wider place in ruralsociety.This paper follows the decision by ministersto establish new devolved arrangements forthe management of state woods and forestsin England, Scotland and Wales. This will seethe creation of three new ForestryCommission agencies with new devolvedremits during 2003. This paper seeks toexplore what state forestry has achieved sincethe 1992 Earth Summit and how the newagencies could respond to a new agenda forthe delivery of truly sustainable state forestswhich better meet the needs of people in the21st century.What did we commit to atand beyond the firstEarth Summit?In Rio, governments committed to sustainabledevelopment that included reversingenvironmental degradation. The Summitrecognised that forests are central todevelopment, with more than a billion peopledepending directly on timber and non-timberforest products. The Forest Principles and theAgenda 21 strategy agreed in Rio laid out stepsto integrate forests into sustainabledevelopment. Countries responded byestablishing programmes of their own,reflecting particular circumstances and needs.The Convention on Biological Diversity requiresgovernments to develop national biodiversitystrategies and action plans. In 2002 partiesadopted a forest action programme, includingapplying the ecosystem approach tomanagement, mitigating impacts of climatechange, restoring degraded forests andprotecting threatened species. The FrameworkConvention on Climate Change promotesrenewable energy and the sustainablemanagement and enhancement of sinks forgreenhouse gases, including forests. Theassociated Kyoto Protocol allows someoffsetting of emissions through absorption ofcarbon dioxide by forests.Specifically, Britain is committed to:• Strengthen institutions• Provide multiple goods and servicesfrom forests• Take care of the wider environment• Protect and restore biodiversity• Conserve and enhance landscape andheritage• Provide recreational opportunities• Strengthen demand for forest products• Facilitate rural development• Raise awareness and understanding andtransfer know-how“Over a million hectares– more than a third ofour forests – are ownedby the state...”7

“Forest Enterprise wasestablished in 1992 andbecame an Agency of theForestry Commission in1996...”reliance on conifer plantations andafforestation of the uplands: this culminatedin a public battle about afforestation of theFlow Country in North Scotland. A majorpolicy review focused attention on broadleafspecies. This period also saw controversyabout the role of acidic pollutants on thehealth of UK forests and water bodies.The government pushed for privatisation andhalted and reversed expansion of stateforests, including significant sell-offs. Theprivate sector, encouraged by tax breaks,planted more trees. Conflicts emergedbetween the Commission’s support andenforcement functions and its role asmanager, leading to the separation of theforest enterprise function. The managementof state forests was encouraged to becomemore commercial with asset sales raising cashto balance the books and environmental andsocial values being of lesser importance. Therewas considerable speculation that thegovernment saw this as a precursor toprivatisation. The Forestry Commissionmaintained an important role through adviceand grant-giving powers, (which are still keyelements in delivering the objectivesdescribed in this paper).This period also saw an exploration of issuesrelating to sustainability including growth inthe conservation debate. Britain’s sustainableforestry programme highlighted biodiversity,landscape and cultural heritage, access,recreation and other non-market benefits.Non-governmental organisation blockedmoves to privatise state forests. ForestEnterprise was established in 1992 andbecame an Agency of the Forestry Commissionin 1996 complete with it’s own managementstructure, staff and a framework documentwhich charged the Agency with producingsome environmental and social as well asfinancial targets and outputs. The Agencyframework document was essentially aconstitution based on a private sector model,which charged the organisation to operate oncommercial lines within the public sector. Inthe private sector forestry tax breaks wereabolished and public debates on forestryincreasingly focused on public benefits. By theearly 21st century, the state forest estate inBritain had achieved Forest StewardshipCouncil certification, thus recognising thesustainable forest management achievementsof Forest Enterprise. However the demandsfor even more public benefits from stateforests have continued to grow at a timewhen timber prices and hence revenues havefallen by 50 per cent. This has opened apassionate debate about future directions forthe management of the public forest estate.“By the early 21stcentury, the stateforest estate in Britainhad achieved ForestStewardship Councilcertification...”9

FOREST RENAISSANCE • THE ROLE OF STATE FORESTRY IN BRITAIN 1919-2050: A DISCUSSION PAPERThe Forestry Commission Estate andits management in the 1990s“Many areas wererecognised as priorityhabitats under the UKBiodiversity ActionPlan...”What type of estate didForest Enterprise managein 1992?• Production potential: 900,000 ha offorest and 230,000 ha of non-forestedland. Timber production was 3.9million m3 /year, and was forecast to increaseto 7 million m3 by 2020. Quality ofplantation timber had declined partlybecause closure of two thirds of pulp andpaper capacity in the 1970s-80s had forcedforest managers to stop thinning.• Biodiversity potential: 62,000 hectaresof legally protected forests, along withremnants of ancient Caledonian pineforest, lowland oaks, heath, blanket andraised bogs, dunes, limestone pavementand pasture. Many areas were recognised aspriority habitats under the UK BiodiversityAction Plan (which also lists 140 priorityspecies found on FE land). Butmanagement plans were often incompleteand conservation expertise was weak. Therewas potential for further enhancingbiodiversity by managing ancientwoodlands; increasing open space;protecting rivers; increasing native trees;minimising harvesting and regenerationdamage; maintaining dead wood; andincreasing diversity.• Landscape and heritage potential: sixtyyears of large-scale planting had createdantipathy towards plantations. Inconsequence forest landscape design grewin importance but initially only focused onthe visual landscape. Forest Enterprise tookover 900 scheduled ancient monuments,plus thousands of unscheduled monuments,listed buildings and important structures.Links to the national heritage agencies andthe archaeological community were weak10

“FE is now probably thesingle largest providerof outdoor recreationin Britain...”12“Monitoring and adaptivemanagement areevolving but need to befurther strengthened...”towards traditional forestry. Empoweringregional staff has increased responsivenessto local needs, eg through stakeholderpanels that inform decision-making.Increased efficiency moved FE into profitafter three years, but collapsing timberprices forced it into loss in 1999. Lossescontinue, putting pressure on non incomegeneratingactivities. Forest Enterprise hasaddressed this by levering additionalresources, allowing £20 million extrainvestment over 10 years.• Planning has been strengthened and nowneeds to move to a landscape level: newplanning procedures supported by GIS helpto integrate management, resource valuesand development, although this processnow needs to extend to the widerlandscape. Forest District Strategic Plansand Forest Design Plans are available forareas scheduled for harvesting andplanting; and Site Management Plans forprotected sites and features. Monitoringand adaptive management are evolving butneed to be further strengthened,particularly for non-market activities.• Management is focusing on newapproaches: alternatives to clear felling arebeing piloted, although large-scale clearfelling continues. Guidance on alternativesto pesticides helps managers to minimiseimpacts. Best practice guidelines and use ofdifferent species are improving freshwatersand mitigating impacts on water yield.Research into alternatives to road transportand cooperation with private forestry arereducing timber traffic nuisance.• External impacts have been partiallyaddressed: impacts of high deerpopulations are being tackled throughintegrated management. FE has beenslower at responding to climate change,with more work needed on planning,species selection and management.• Biodiversity has been more effectivelyprotected and restored: all statutorilyprotected areas on FE land havemanagement plans agreed by natureconservation agencies. Plans are beingimplemented for all priority woodlandhabitats and framework plans for prioritynon-woodland habitats. All plantations onancient woodland sites have been surveyedand work programmes are being developed.New guidance on dead wood is helpingconserve biodiversity. Weaknesses incatering for natural reserves in ForestDesign Plans have been addressed. Furtheraction is needed to bring protected areasto favourable conservation status. Forwardplanning for native woodland restorationshould be improved. Local plans are neededfor priority non-woodland habitats. Moreeffective links are also needed to nationalhabitat and species action plans and localbiodiversity action plans, along with closercollaboration in developing forest habitatnetworks.• Landscape planning has become moresophisticated: Forest Enterprise hasimproved landscape planning, withcomputer-aided 3-D visualisation ofdifferent management patterns. Formerindustrial areas have been improvedthrough partnerships leading to newownership and management structures.A planning framework for ancientmonuments, agreed with the nationalheritage agencies, should improveprotection. Local authority archaeologistsand archaeological trusts input to ForestDesign Plans.• Recreational opportunities have beenexpanded and access improved: ForestEnterprise offers 703 forest walks, 392cycle trails, nearly 800 car parks, morethan 500 picnic sites, 82 orienteeringcourses, 41 children’s play areas, 31 visitorcentres and 27 wildlife hides. FE hosts

FOREST RENAISSANCE • THE ROLE OF STATE FORESTRY IN BRITAIN 1919-2050: A DISCUSSION PAPERmajor events in orienteering and bicycling.FE is now probably the single largestprovider of outdoor recreation in Britain,but this aspect of its work is currentlyunder-invested.• Forest products have been promotedalthough timber prices continue to fall:concerns about timber quality are startingto be addressed by re-introducing apresumption in favour of thinning andimplementing a regeneration qualitystandard. Long-term supply contracts areoffered to encourage new investment andwood-for-energy projects. More is neededto develop profitable markets forplantation and native hardwood timber,particularly in the building industry.Quality of products is important: nativehardwood products (furniture, windowframesetc) are currently of variablequality, with the result that much isimported.• Community involvement has improvedbut remains a challenge: it has been hard toreconcile community aspirations withcommercial management. Problems includemisunderstandings, unrealistic expectationsand lack of skills and resources. Progresshas been made on facilitating communityparticipation and adapting marketingstrategies to support local businesses andsome major community appraisal initiativeshave taken place. A communityinvolvement strategy and associatedfunding is still required.• Training and extension has received moreattention: Forest Enterprise experience andknowledge has been increased through anetwork of specialist education centrestaff. By involving stakeholders, FE hasdeveloped a wider understanding andappreciation of forestry. It has been lesssuccessful in communicating thisexperience to other people related toforestry in Britain and internationally, andthere is scope for more transfer of knowhow.FE also needs to learn more fromother institutions with biodiversity, socialand cultural agendas.Forest Enterprise has made clearcommitments and some real changes toaddress Earth Summit commitments.The process is not yet complete: actionstill sometimes lags behind policies andfurther investment is needed to fulfil desiredcommitments.“More is needed todevelop profitablemarkets for plantationand native hardwoodtimber...”“Forest Enterpriseexperience andknowledge has beenincreased through anetwork of specialisteducation centrestaff..”13

FOREST RENAISSANCE • THE ROLE OF STATE FORESTRY IN BRITAIN 1919-2050: A DISCUSSION PAPERA New Future for State Forestsin Britain14“State forests are muchmore ecologicallyrobust.”What do we want?Developing a futurevision for state forestsIn the following section, we present avision of how forests in general, and stateforests in particular, might appear in2050.England, Scotland and Wales have larger,higher quality and more varied forest estateswhich are supported, shaped and influencedby many people. There is diversity in foresttypes and structures and in managementapproaches. In the first two decades of the20th century, partnerships between stateforest bodies, private owners, local authoritiesand others helped to recreate large nativeforests throughout England and Wales, whilein Scotland and Wales several uneconomicstate-owned conifer plantations were restoredto native species. Long deforested areas, suchas the famous Sherwood Forest, theCaledonian pinewoods and the Atlanticoakwoods of Scotland have re-emergedthrough negotiations with local communities.Britain is recognised as an international leaderin forest landscape restoration. More peopleare dependent on forests for part of theirincomes, with leisure activities oftenreplacing forestry in maintaining rurallivelihoods. Forest products are anincreasingly important part of the economy,replacing alternatives which have highersocial and environmental costs.Existing state forests and woodlands arechanging. While some plantations remain,more areas are under continuous covermanagement and native species and ourhardwood forests are starting to berecognised as among the best in the world. Agreater emphasis on high-value products anduses – hardwoods, non-timber forest productsand recreation – has changed both nature ofmanagement and choice of tree. The vastmajority of Britain’s state forests are trulymulti-purpose with managers focusing on thewhole landscape, integrating whereverpossible natural ecological processes. Thirdparty certification provides the framework forcontinued improvements and is recognised asa credible global model.State forests are much more ecologicallyrobust. Previously threatened species such asthe honey buzzard and pine marten are secureand spreading back into lowland areas wheretheir existence was previously a distantmemory: several have been removed from theUK Red List of endangered species. For thefirst time since Neolithic humans clearedforests with flint axes, truly wild forests aregrowing again in places, through naturalregeneration and negotiated restoration.Britain is increasingly seen as an importantdestination for forest-based adventureholidays.An expanding network of protected areas andmanaged natural forests links naturalwoodland fragments with areas undergoingrestoration. Reserves are developing oldgrowthcharacteristics.People play a more central role in decisionsabout their local forests. New technologyhelps consultation and a new generationunderstands the importance and values offorests. State forest managers’ expertise andremit has changed; they are expected to listenmore and to liaise with local people, to ensurethat necessary trade-offs between differentforest functions are understood and properlydebated. Forestry is considered one of thesafer industries and there are more womenentering the profession at all levels. Peopleare aware of our forest footprint abroad andBritain, particularly through consumer choiceof certified products and a green publicprocurement policy, helps improvemanagement in exporting countries.Despite a growing resource base, Britain stillrelies on timber imports, and the need for

FOREST RENAISSANCE • THE ROLE OF STATE FORESTRY IN BRITAIN 1919-2050: A DISCUSSION PAPER“Our woodlands arebecoming famous: thelatest Lonely Planetguide to Britain has asection on wildwoods.”new timber and fibre is minimised throughrecycling and waste reduction technologies.New uses for wood are much more widespread,including a renewed role for wood in energysupply through local combustion/generationunits and Combined Heat and Power systems.Whole energy accounting in selection ofbuilding materials has led to a greater use oftimber for construction.Our woodlands are becoming famous: thelatest Lonely Planet guide to Britain has asection on wildwoods. The spreadingCaledonian pine forest was featured in thegovernment’s half-century review of theAgenda 21 process. Woodland walking is ratedthe most popular recreational activity. Despitemarked changes in the climate, Britain’swoodlands are considered secure enough tosurvive the coming millennium.State-owned forests continue to play a keyrole in the overall forest estate, particularly inareas where commercial timber values cannotalone support the wider benefits desired bythe population, although state forests havechanged in location and size as well as innature. There is now far greater access towoodlands close to where the greatestnumbers of people live. Some are nowmanaged by local communities, whileelsewhere the estate has expanded to includeareas of former industrial wasteland andsurplus agricultural land which are moresuitable for access, leisure and nature thancommercial timber production, or industrialwasteland. State forest managers work mainlyin partnership with institutions large andsmall, as facilitators and entrepreneurs.Overall state forestry has many morestakeholders including many more people witha direct involvement and diversity ofinterests. While under continuing pressure topay as much of its way as possible, its widerenvironmental and social remit has beenrecognised and supported by successivegovernments in all three countries.How could we get there?Opportunities for thenew State Forest AgenciesForest Enterprise has had one of the broadestremits in British land management, not onlyon the Forestry Commission estate but alsothrough its role beyond in liaison withcommunity and private woodland owners andin wider policy and outreach through theForestry Commission. Its successor agenciesare ideally placed to deliver on targets such ascertification, participation, biodiversity andlandscape; devolved powers will allowinnovative solutions to be explored differentlyin the three countries. They will be less wellplaced to deliver broader economic benefitssuch as tourism, non-timber forest productsand management diversification, and shoulddevelop these in partnership. They canrespond to wider goals of enhancing valuethrough changing timber uses by producingtimber that British customers require. Inrealising these opportunities and challenges,the agencies will need to be responsive to thediffering priorities and public expectations inEngland, Scotland and Wales.“...while elsewhere theestate has expanded toinclude areas of formerindustrial wastelandand surplusagricultural land...”15

FOREST RENAISSANCE • THE ROLE OF STATE FORESTRY IN BRITAIN 1919-2050: A DISCUSSION PAPERIn February 2002, the ForestryCommission supported aworkshop on Forest LandscapeRestoration in Costa Rica, withWWF, IUCN, the Center forInternational ForestryResearch, the InternationalTropical Timber Organisationand the Costa Ricangovernment. Forest LandscapeRestoration focuses on reestablishingfunctions andecosystem processes in amosaic across a landscaperather than on just restoringindividual sites. It involvesstakeholders in planning anddecision-making.“More thanthree-quartersof the populationwould like moretrees...”What needs to happen?Enacting a state forestrenaissance• Forest Landscape Restoration: Britainstill needs far more forests. More thanthree-quarters of the population would likemore trees: for nature, for timber, assources of renewable energy, to renewover-exploited landscapes, to bring moneyinto rural areas and for their aesthetic,spiritual and recreational values. The newforest agencies should work with partners toincrease forest cover to at least 15 per cent ofthe land area of Britain, with a minimumtarget of 30 per cent for some districts,focused on establishment of nativebroadleaves, increasing the size of smallwoods to create core conservation areasand increasing linkages between woods. Aninterim target might be 10 major new forestlandscapes in England and a greatercontribution to community forests inEngland; more forests on derelictland in South Wales; and amajor role in the developmentof state forests within theCentral Scotland Forest andaround other major urbanareas, along with a furtherextension of native woodlands inHighland Scotland. Such ambitioustargets need a strong lead from the newagencies, which could apply ForestLandscape Restoration to plan andnegotiate a mosaic of restored forests,woodlands and open areas, complementingexisting land uses and involving state andprivate forests, other landowners andstakeholders. The failure of the market inthe private sector to fund wider forestbenefits increases the role for state forests.Forest Enterprise has had a track record offorestry involving multiple land deals andthis could be applied within a new modelin the upland and lowland parts of1324Central ScotlandForest11141265England, Scotland and Wales in both ruraland urban locations.• A landscape scale approach: emphasisshould shift from forest sites to forestedlandscapes – ie to a scale where decisionsabout the social, environmental andeconomic uses of forests and other landcan be worked out in a balanced way. Thisis a critical issue in biodiversityconservation, as viable populations ofmany species cannot survive in isolationand protected areas only work well in amosaic containing other compatible landuses. It is a scale at which competing landuses – such as forestry and grazingpressure from sheep or deer – can best beaddressed. The landscape scale also meetscontemporary expectations for leisureactivities and participation and localdemocracy, which reject a singleconsultation followed by a long-term plan,7Potential candidate localities fornew, expanded or redeveloped 21stcentury state forests in Britain.Proposed locations1 North West Highlands2 Central Highlands3 Loch Lomond & Trossachs4 Central & urban Scotland5 The Pennines6 The Lakes7 Yorkshire Coalfield & Floodplains8 Sherwood9 Lincolnshire10 Northamptonshire11 Rural Wales12 South Wales13 London14 The SouthwestThe 12 Community Forestsin England8The NationalForest1091316

as in traditional land-use planning.Developing a balance between different landuses within a landscape, in partnership withboth local and more distant interest groups, willremain a key challenge for state foresters in thenext few decades.• Recreating “a wilderness experience”:state forest managers have the chance torecreate “wilderness” in Britain for the firsttime in recorded history: areas whereforests are allowed to develop naturalcharacteristics, maintained by herbivoresand providing space for animals and birdscurrently rare or extinct here. Britain hasbeen a cultural landscape since Neolithictimes: today, most apparently nativewoodlands have been planted and 80 percent of our ‘forests’ are exotic plantations.Changing economic and social conditions,particularly in the British uplands, coupledwith a greater understanding of ecosystemprocesses, create the possibility ofrestoring wilderness. Equally, the term“wilderness” can be used in a relativesense. In our very urbanised society, manypeople would – and already do – enjoy a“wildland” experience within green spaceclose to towns and cities. Although supportwould be high in some parts of Britain andamong some stakeholders, selling the ideaswill be challenging in many communitieswhere “wilderness” is still a negativeconcept. Developing wild areas, probablywithin existing or proposed national parks,would help secure biodiversity and extendthe uses of uplands. It would provide amagnet for recreation and a model forlandscape-scale restoration. State forestmanagers could recreate large core areas ofunmanaged, native woodland (10,000 hectaresor more) in England, Wales and Scotland,ideally surrounded by buffer zones of othermulti-purpose forest types driven by ForestryCommission policy.• Listening to people: a truly communitybasedapproach to forest planning andmanagement could be embraced by thenew agencies from their inception.Increased expectations for forests makes itharder than ever to balance needs andpriorities, increasing the need for devolveddecision-making, and the creation andmaintenance of partnerships. Choices aboutthe extent and approach to participationmust be made on a case-by-case basis:some people are content to let authoritiestake decisions, while others want closeinvolvement. Balancing local and outsiderviews is often challenging. Pressure todeliver forest design plans should notcompromise an effective consultativeprocess, with community engagementstarting well in advance of delivering adesign plan. With the wide managementremit of the new devolved bodies, a uniqueopportunity exists to implement active plansfor community engagement, and aspire tobecome “partners of first choice” for keyprojects. Consultation processes,performance indicators, staff trained incommunity facilitation, communicationand marketing, livelihood-based“State forest managershave the chance torecreate “wilderness” inBritain...”17

“...state forests shouldhelp to maintain ruralcommunities...”At the Earth Summit inJohannesburg in August 2002,the ‘UK Partnership for Action’,which includes the UKGovernment, the devolvedadministrations, the forestryindustry and environmentalgroups, published details of anaction programme to promotesustainable development in theforestry sector at home andinternationally. This will buildon the UK’s experience ofpartnership working to takeaction on:• Forest certification• Illegal logging•Timber procurement• Forest protection• Forest restoration• Promotion programmecommunity analyses and increased supportgiven to local communities could help buildsuch partnerships, which are alreadyspreading beyond traditional forest uses tomountain biking and pop concerts.• Supporting a sustainable ruraleconomy: state forests should help tomaintain rural communities; however, thiswill need new strategies and approaches.Although wood production has more thandoubled since the 1970s and continues toincrease, this has been offset by a declinein timber prices. Furthermore,mechanisation has reduced employment inforest management. Today more peoplederive income from other activitiesdependent on forests and woodlands,including tourism, recreation, high-qualitycarpentry, sale of wild foods, pheasantrearingand shooting. State forestry mustwork hard with partners involved in theseactivities to maintain and increase levels ofemployment, while aiming to support andmanage other uses. State forestry couldcontribute by developing strategies to ensurethe sustainability of harvest of minor forestproducts, development of wood as an energysource, recreational uses and encouragement ofmulti-purpose woodland management.and they should work in partnership withother organisations to make a substantivedifference to people’s environments andquality of life.• Beyond certification: Forest Enterprisehas undertaken the largest single FSCcertification in the world to date, coveringits entire forest estate. It has joined theWWF 95+Group and committed to promotegood forest management and certificationand increased trade in credibly certifiedproducts. The new agencies should providea leadership role in promoting forestcertification at the national level, andincreasing the access to and uptake ofcredible certification by small forestowners, maintaining its certification to theUKWAS and promoting responsible timberand paper procurement by the publicsector. At the same time, as outlined in theproposals above, it needs to look beyondcertification to how forest managementmight continue to improve in the future,particularly with respect to forestlandscape restoration and approaches thataddress the whole forest landscape.18• Urban renewal: Forest Enterprise hasdemonstrated its ability to develop newcommunity woodlands close to people indisadvantaged communities in despoiledlandscapes. Recent work in the South Walesvalleys, major demonstration projects inThames Chase, Red Rose and the MerseyCommunity Forests in England, and somepilot activity in the Central ScotlandForest, have clearly shown what can beachieved both in the creation of newwoodlands and through the active interestand participation of local people in some ofBritain’s most disadvantaged communities.The state forest agencies should be given aclear mandate and the necessary resources,“The new agencies shouldprovide a leadership rolein promoting forestcertification at thenational level...”

How do we movefrom vision toreality?The opportunity exists for the three newstate forest agencies to play a defining rolein shaping a forest landscape in England,Scotland and Wales that is of a higherquality than at any time during the previoustwo or three millennia – with implicationsfor Britain, Europe and, through example, forthe whole world. Careful stewardship andcontinuing timber sales can help to fund thisprocess. But they cannot supply all thenecessary resources, particularly in thecurrent economic conditions, and theagencies need to be seen as more than justa commercial enterprise. They need a clearpolitical mandate, more and differentlytrained staff, more funding and more land(or access to land through partnershipagreements). A major period of change hasstarted; it now needs the political backingand resources to complete the process.An investment comparable to that made, withpopular acclaim, in the Tate Modern Gallerycould transform the forested landscapes ofEngland, Scotland and Wales.19

Further copies of this paper may be obtained from:Mike Garforth: mike_garforth@compuserve.comNigel Dudley: equilibrium@compuserve.comorForestry Commission, Silvan House, 231 Corstorphine Road,Edinburgh EH12 7ATwww.forestry.gov.ukWWF, Panda House, Weyside Park, Godalming,Surrey GU7 1XRwww.wwf.org.ukPrinted on Revive Silk paper, 75% recycled post consumer waste, TCF and ECF.DIS/L&S/3K/Feb 2003