Source · Select Committees · Environmental Audit Committee
Recommendation 30
30
Acknowledged
Paragraph: 153
Ensure the revised UK Forestry Standard fully supports productive forestry compatible with climate and nature goals.
Recommendation
We recommend that the project board with oversight of the current quinquennial review of the UK Forestry Standard ensure that the revised Standard not only contributes to beneficial outcomes for biodiversity and carbon storage but also supports productive forestry to the fullest extent compatible with climate and nature goals. This overall objective must be supported by the policy instruments available to the Forestry Commission in England and to Defra Ministers. The Commission and the UK Government should seek to work constructively with their counterparts in the devolved administrations and partner forestry agencies to ensure the overall growth of the forest estate managed to the UK Forestry Standard.
Government Response Summary
The government acknowledges that the UK Forestry Standard (UKFS) is already based on principles supporting productive forestry and biodiversity. The Forestry Commission will work with stakeholders and devolved administrations to ensure clarity and consistency regarding changes to the latest UKFS version.
Paragraph Reference:
153
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
UKFS is based on international agreements which include criteria and indicators focused on the contribution forests make to the carbon cycle, on the ‘productive function’ of forests (timber production and provision of non-timber goods such as food) and on biodiversity. The latest review did not change these principals and UKFS will continue to be applied to woodlands that are created or managed to produce timber, support biodiversity or both. The latest review process considered how climate change and pests and diseases might impact future timber supplies at a national scale. Ongoing outbreaks of Ips typographus on spruce across Europe, including England, along with the impacts of Phytophthora ramorum on larch and Dothistroma needle blight on pine show that it is essential to do more to increase the diversity of tree species used provide good quality timber to the construction market. The Forestry Commission will work with Confor and other forestry stakeholders to ensure changes to the latest version of the UKFS, and how they will be implemented, are understood by woodland owners, forestry agents and forestry contractors. During this process the Forestry Commission will also collaborate with forestry regulators in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to ensure a consistent message is presented to forestry businesses.