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

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

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