CONFERENCE: Timber industry "critically important" says Forestry Minister

Mr Barnes, who co-wrote the document with Confor Deputy CEO Andy Leitch, said the key message from the Strategy was ‘clarity’ - why do we want to plant trees? This included clarity (and honesty) about the fact that if the UK wants to grow more of its own timber, it must grow more softwood - and therefore plant far more fast-growing conifer trees.

He praised the “considerable input” of the Forestry Commission, and Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), saying: “The previous Minister [Trudy Harrison MP] and the Forestry Commission have been consistently and openly supportive of productive forestry in the last year.”

Mr Barnes said the Strategy had to be seen in the context of rising global demand for wood (and future wood shortages) and the statutory target of increasing UK woodland cover to 16.5% by 2050. He stressed that the status quo simply wasn’t enough and highlighted the 5 Cs of the “action-oriented” Strategy: Clarity; Consistency; Capital; Communication; and Collaboration.

If the Strategy had to come down to one word, it was ‘clarity’, he said, including clarity about where timber came from: “If we want more timber, we need to grow more softwood, and if we want more softwood, we need more conifer trees.” As a result, the Strategy calls for clear targets for creating wood-producing forests, clear and consistent support for creating those forests - and better communication of the need to plant woodlands for timber production as well as climate change and biodiversity.

Naomi Matthiessen, Trees Co-Lead at Defra, was pleased the positivity of the 2022 conference had been carried through to 2023.

In response to requests from the industry, much had been achieved in a year, she argued, including enshrining the 2050 woodland cover target in law, and committing to increasing the conifer component of planting from under 10% now to 30%. She also highlighted “reducing the burden of consultation and streamlining the approval process” - specifically the extension of the planting window from 2 to 3 years and the maintenance grant from 10 to 15 years.

There had also been a near-£5 million investment in future industry skills, she added, while strategies on deer management and squirrel control - and the Timber in Construction roadmap - were imminent. “Great progress has been made,” she said. “It takes time to collaborate and a huge amount of effort has gone into collaboration with the National Wood Strategy and I think it is richer as a result.

“We are enthusiastic supporters of its ambitious strategic goals. We do not agree with every single thing in it, but acknowledge the challenge it sets the government and its commitment to collaboration and partnership.”

Stuart Goodall, CEO of Confor, agreed with this sentiment and reflected on what he hopes will be seen in future as a landmark event: “A year ago the then forestry minister Trudy Harrison gave us hope that productive forestry and home-grown wood would be brought ‘in from the cold’ and be recognised as an important part of England’s forestry policy and ambitions to tackle climate change and support a strong, green rural economy. A year on, and we can see how that political leadership has created a new sense of optimism. The Wood Strategy, the actions taken by Defra and Forestry Commission to improve the tree planting process and make it inclusive are strongly welcomed.

“We now have recognition that there is a timber security challenge for the UK that is real and important.

“At the conference I set the scene for the day by expressing the passion that I have, and which is shared across the industry, for productive forestry and home-grown wood products to make a bigger contribution to tackling climate change, something that has been recognised as important by 17 countries, including the UK, at COP28 in Dubai.

“I think many people, me included, are seriously concerned that globally we will fail to hit our 2050 targets and future generations will suffer the consequences. Tree planting and greater wood use won’t, in themselves, make the difference but they can make a significant contribution.

“As we go forward from this conference, the forestry and wood-using industry needs to communicate its positive story. Many people lack trust in businesses, and the legacy of tree planting in the 20^th century is in the minds of some and is picked up by those concerned by changing landscapes now, so we have to redouble our efforts to set out the ‘why’ of productive tree planting and greater wood production. Confor is working on this and I look forward to sharing our ideas in 2024.”