UKFS to be reviewed again this spring
First introduced in 1998, the UK Forestry Standard (UKFS) outlines the context for forestry, sets out the approach of the UK governments to sustainable forest management, defines standards and requirements, and provides a basis for regulation and monitoring. The standard is reviewed every five years and an updated version is due to be published in […]
Policy Roundup – December 2021
Our monthly policy and research blog updates you on the latest work at the Institute and how you can get involved. Institute News It has been another challenging year, from COVID-19 to Storm Arwen, with not a single dull moment in the world of tree policy. In the 2020 Membership Survey, our members’ top priority […]
Institute responds on GB biosecurity strategy & UKWAS 5 revisions
On 30 November we submitted and published responses to two important consultations. GB Biosecurity Strategy With exponential growth of pests and diseases in the last 30 years, worsening as climate changes, we are facing a huge challenge to the biosecurity of trees, woods and forests. Our response suggested five priority areas for the strategy: Agility […]
Policy Roundup – November 2021
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 Last month we launched a campaign on the forestry skills crisis that was covered in October’s Policy Roundup. We want to keep the momentum […]
Consultation opens on UKWAS 5 Second Revision Draft
Stakeholders are now being invited to comment on the Second Revision Draft of UKWAS 5. The consultation draft has been prepared by a chamber-balanced working group reflecting economic, environmental and social interests taking full account of stakeholder input. Chair of the working group and Institute Fellow, Peter Wilson FICFor, said: “We had fantastic feedback from […]
Forestry skills crisis puts climate targets at risk
On Thursday 7 October we sent a position paper to Ministers across the UK detailing our serious concerns about the skills shortage in our sector, which we believe puts climate targets at risk. Read the executive summary below or download the full document. We have asked governments to commit to action and offered solutions; we […]
Policy Roundup – September 2021
Our monthly policy and research blog updates you on the latest work at the Institute and how you can get involved. Institute News Consultation Responses It has been a busy month for policy at the Institute. We published responses to the UKFS review key stakeholder consultation, Scottish Government’s consultation on Delivering Economic Transformation and DAERA’s […]
Help shape the plant biosecurity strategy for Great Britain
A consultation was launched on 21 September 2021 to inform a new plant biosecurity strategy for Great Britain. This GB-wide consultation is directly relevant to anyone who has an interest in, and responsibility towards, plant health. With increasing pressure on trees and woodlands to mitigate the climate and nature crises, there are also unprecedented threats […]
Institute champions sustainable forestry across the UK
One of our greatest strengths as a professional body is our UK-wide remit and responding to consultations is an important way to influence policy and develop partnerships. We recently submitted a response to the UK Forestry Standard Review key stakeholder consultation to express our unwavering commitment to the UKFS and our support for the review […]
Government seeking views on the release of beavers into the wild
Beavers are being reintroduced in the UK after being hunted to extinction 400 years ago. A consultation launched by Defra on Wednesday 25 August is seeking views on the proposed approach to the further reintroduction and the management of the species in the wild in England. Widely referred to as ‘ecosystem engineers’, beavers can play […]