Forestry Commission facts for kids
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| Agency overview | |
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| Formed | 1919 |
| Type | Non-ministerial government department |
| Jurisdiction | England (1919-present) Scotland (1919-2019) Wales (1919-2013) |
| Employees | 3,240 |
| Annual budget | £50.8 million (2009-2010) |
| Agency executive |
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| Parent department |
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The Forestry Commission is a special government department in England. Its main job is to look after forests owned by the public. It also helps manage and set rules for all forests, both public and private, across England.
In the past, the Forestry Commission also managed forests in Wales and Scotland. But things changed! On April 1, 2013, the Welsh part joined other groups to become Natural Resources Wales. Then, on April 1, 2019, Scotland created two new groups: Forestry and Land Scotland and Scottish Forestry.
The Forestry Commission started in 1919. This was after the First World War, when Britain's forests were very small. The Commission bought lots of farmland to plant new trees. It became the biggest land manager in Britain. Today, the Forestry Commission has three main parts: Forestry England, Forest Research, and the Forestry Commission itself.
Over time, the Commission's work grew beyond just growing timber. They now do a lot of scientific research, often in special research forests. They also encourage people to enjoy the outdoors with many outdoor activities. Protecting and improving the variety of life (biodiversity) in England's forests is also a key part of their job.
The Commission has faced some criticism. People worried about too many conifer trees, which made forests look too similar. There were also concerns about a lack of different plants and animals. When the government tried to sell parts of the organization in 1993 and 2010, there were big protests from the public and groups that protect nature.
Contents
What the Forestry Commission Does
Before Scotland got its own forest groups, the Forestry Commission looked after nearly 700,000 hectares (about 1.7 million acres) of land in England and Scotland. This made it the country's largest land manager. Most of this land (70%) was in Scotland, with 30% in England. The Commission's work includes keeping the natural environment healthy and providing places for fun activities. They also harvest timber for industries and plant new trees in areas that have been cut down or used before.
The main reason the Commission started in 1919 was because of deforestation. Britain had only 5% of its original forests left. The government wanted to grow more trees for timber, which was important for the country. Since then, forest cover has doubled. The Commission now focuses on managing forests in a way that is good for the environment and provides benefits for everyone. They still work to create new woodlands. They help the government reach its goal of 12% forest cover by 2060. They support projects like The Big Tree Plant and the Woodland Carbon Code.
The Forestry Commission also sets rules for private forests in England. For example, you usually need a special licence from the Commission before you can cut down trees. They also encourage new private forests to grow. They do this by offering grants to help private forest owners.
A Look at Forestry History
The Forestry Commission was created by the Forestry Act in 1919. It started with eight forestry commissioners. Simon Fraser, 14th Lord Lovat was the first chairman from 1919 to 1927. The main goal was to increase woodland in Britain. They bought land to plant new forests (called afforestation) and replant old ones (called reforestation). They also wanted to promote forestry and timber production. In the 1920s, they bought a lot of land, often old farmland, to start planting.
During the Great Depression, the Commission kept growing its land. By 1934, it owned over 360,000 hectares. Because land was cheap and more timber was needed, the Forestry Commission became Britain's largest landowner by 1939.
When the Second World War began, the Commission split into two parts. One part continued its usual duties, and the other focused on producing timber for the war. This timber often came from places like the New Forest and the Forest of Dean. During the war, the Commission also started requiring licences to cut down trees. By the end of the war, about a third of Britain's available timber had been used.
After the war, the Commission started doing much more research. They opened their first research station, Alice Holt Lodge, in 1946. Timber sales also grew a lot, reaching over £2 million per year in the 1950s.
The Countryside Act 1968 made public groups, including the Forestry Commission, think about protecting the beauty of the countryside. This meant the Commission started focusing on conservation and recreation, not just timber. People like Peter Garthwaite and Sylvia Crowe helped with this. Crowe also helped make the forests look better for visitors.
In the early 1960s, the Commission began building campsites. In the 1970s, they added more cabins for people to stay in during holidays. Their Northern research station opened in Roslin in 1970.
The early 1980s saw the Commission start selling timber outside Britain. Exports quickly reached 500,000 tonnes a year. The Forestry Act 1981 allowed the sale of some Commission land. By 1986, some people wanted to sell off the entire Forestry Commission. However, the Wildlife and Countryside (Amendment) Act 1985 made the Commission balance timber production with conservation. The Great Storm of 1987 damaged many forests, but most of the fallen trees were saved and sold.
In the early 1990s, the Forestry Commission changed again. The part that managed the forest land became Forest Enterprise. In 1993, there was another idea to sell the Forestry Commission. This caused many protests from nature groups. After a review in 1994, the government said that "Forestry Commission woodlands will remain in the public sector."
Since the mid-1990s, timber sales have gone down. This made the Commission focus even more on research and recreation. They also started growing woodlands near towns and cities for the first time.
Because of devolution, the Forestry Commission had to report to the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly, as well as the UK Government. This led to separate groups for forests in each country. On April 1, 2013, Forestry Commission Wales joined Natural Resources Wales. Then, in April 2019, Forestry and Land Scotland and Scottish Forestry took over in Scotland.
In 2010, the government tried to sell or lease public forests in England. This idea was very unpopular. Many people protested, and an online petition got over 500,000 signatures. In February 2011, the government stopped its plans. They set up a group to advise on the future of forests in England. This group later said that the government had not fully considered the benefits of public forests.
Due to budget cuts from 2010, the Forestry Commission faced challenges. They had to cut jobs, and employee salaries were frozen. This made it harder to keep and hire staff, especially for jobs like forestry management.
Social Impact of Forestry
When the Forestry Commission started, it also had a social goal. Large parts of Britain's uplands were empty. Planting trees would not only make the land useful but also bring more people to live there. They imagined small farms grouped together near forests. These farms would provide homes and workers for the forests.
This idea guided the Commission for almost 50 years. In 1946, the Director General said the Commission helped solve the problem of getting people "back to the land." They did this especially through their policy of creating smallholdings (small farms).
Simon Fraser, 14th Lord Lovat, who helped start the Commission, had a lot of land in Scotland. He and other Scottish landowners came up with the idea of combining land settlement with forestry. As the first chairman, he put this plan into action across Britain. Money for the plan came from important government figures like Philip Snowden and Winston Churchill.
The plan created small farms of about ten acres in the new forests. These were rented for £15 a year. Farmers were expected to work in the forests for about 150 days a year. These small farms were very successful and met a real need in the countryside.
The building of small farms slowed down after the Great Depression. It was revived by the Special Areas program in 1934 but mostly ended by the Second World War. A total of 1,511 small farms were built. After 1945, the focus shifted to building houses without farms. This was cheaper for the Commission. By 1955, 2,688 cottages had been built.
Many of the bigger forest villages were never finished. This was partly because they were isolated and partly due to money problems. Also, new machines and better transport meant fewer staff houses were needed. The idea of "company villages" in remote areas was questioned.
Some houses were sold in the 1970s. The government encouraged tenants to buy their homes with discounts. Even though the social policy of the Forestry Commission is in the past, its impact on upland areas is still big. Many small villages exist today because of the forests.
How the Forestry Commission is Organized
The Forestry Commission is led by a Board of Commissioners. This board includes a chairperson and up to ten other commissioners. The current chairman is Sir William Worsley. The Chief Executive, Richard Stanford, is also one of these commissioners. The King appoints the Forestry Commissioners. An Executive Board works with the Commissioners to manage the Commission's overall plans.
The Forestry Commission is divided into three main parts: Forest Services, Forestry England, and Forest Research.
Devolution and Collaboration
In 2003, the power to make decisions about forestry and manage state forests was given to each of the three countries in Great Britain. This led to separate groups being set up for Wales (Natural Resources Wales in 2013) and Scotland (Scottish Forestry and Forestry and Land Scotland in 2019). The Forestry Commission still reports to the UK Parliament through ministers from Defra.
However, these different organizations still work together on many things. Scottish Forestry manages the UK Forestry Standard and the Woodland Carbon Code. Natural Resources Wales helps organize forestry research. The Forestry Commission helps the whole UK with international forestry policies and tree health. Forest Research, a separate agency, also provides research for the entire UK.
Forest Research
Forest Research is the scientific agency of the Forestry Commission. It does scientific research and surveys. Its main jobs are to provide facts for British forestry policies and find ways to manage forests in a sustainable way. It also works with universities and businesses on research projects.
Forest Research has three main research stations. One is in each country of Great Britain: Alice Holt in Hampshire, England; the Northern research station in Scotland; and a smaller unit in Aberystwyth, Wales. Alice Holt was the first research station, started in 1946, and is the main one. The Northern research station in Midlothian opened in 1970. The Aberystwyth unit was set up in 2009.
The Technical Services Unit, based at the Northern Research Station, has five field stations. These stations do research for the Forestry Commission and other groups. This unit also looks after six smaller satellite stations and the research nurseries.
In 2006, Alice Holt forest became the first research forest in Britain. The Dyfi Catchment and Woodland Research Platform in Gwynedd followed in 2012. Alice Holt was chosen because the Commission has done research there since 1946 and has kept detailed records of the forest and its experiments.
Fun in the Forests
Before the Countryside Act 1968, the Forestry Commission mainly focused on selling timber. But that act gave people the right to use much of the forest land for fun activities. This led the Commission to add more facilities for the public. Sylvia Crowe was hired to help make the forests better for recreation. Because of this, the Forestry Commission became the biggest provider of outdoor fun in Britain.
The Commission works with groups that enjoy walking, cycling, and horse riding. They encourage people to use their land for these activities. A great example is the 7stanes project in southern Scotland. Here, seven special areas with man-made mountain bike trails were built. These trails also have easy-to-access parts for disabled cyclists. In the summer, the Commission even hosts live music concerts in some forests.
Protecting Nature
Early forest plantations were criticized for not having enough different kinds of plants and animals. However, the Forestry Commission has been steadily improving its woodlands for wildlife. The large blocks of conifer trees planted early on were good for some species, like Eurasian siskin and roe deer. But now, the focus on having more variety helps a much wider range of species, including broadleaved trees and animals that prefer open areas.
England's Forests
About 26% of the UK's woodland (0.86 million hectares) is managed by Forestry England, Forestry and Land Scotland, Natural Resources Wales, or the Northern Ireland Forest Service.
When the Forestry Commission started in 1919, it took over several existing forests. Some of these were old royal forests with ancient woodland. Much of the new land bought by the Commission was planted heavily with conifer trees. Kielder Forest was one of these "new" forests, planted in 1926. It is now the largest forest in England and is managed by Forestry England.
The early focus on conifers, which were often all the same age and very dark, led to criticism. People said the forests looked too artificial. The Commission often got land with poor soil, usually in hilly areas. Conifers were used because they can grow well in tough conditions. By the 1960s, these trees were almost fully grown, and many people complained that the large conifer forests were not pretty.
Since then, making the landscape better has been a key part of the Forestry Commission's work. All forests now have a Forest Design Plan. This plan aims to balance different goals, such as growing timber, making the landscape look better, bringing back natural habitats (ecological restoration), and providing places for recreation. Managing forests is a long-term job, with plans often lasting at least 25 or 30 years into the future.
Images for kids
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There are extensive valley forests in Cumbria; this is Ennerdale.
See also
- The Big Tree Plant
- Confederation of Forest Industries
- Woodland Carbon Code
- Community Forests in England
- English Lowlands beech forests
- List of Forestry Commission land on the Isle of Wight
- List of forests managed by the Forestry Commission
- Scotland's Environmental and Rural Services of which Forestry Commission Scotland is a member
- International Year of Forests
