Woodland report "a shot in the arm" for forestry in Wales

Branching out: a new ambition for woodland policies was launched at the Royal Welsh Show by the Welsh Assembly’s Climate Change, Environment and Rural Affairs Committee.

Martin Bishop, Confor’s Wales Manager, said: “This report is a shot in the arm for the industry, which delivers half a billion pounds of annual value to the Welsh economy. It recognises Wales is missing an enormous range of economic, environmental and community benefits delivered by not planting enough trees - and sets out a clear plan of action to put things right. It is a blueprint for a greener future.

"The first recommendation delivers the central message forestry and timber businesses have been waiting for – more tree planting and especially more commercial tree planting, to provide the raw material to drive the rural economy forward.”

One sawmiller said production could be "doubled or trebled" in Wales if more timber was available. Josh Sambrook-Jones of Clifford Jones Timber Group, a Confor member based in Ruthin, north Wales, said: "We are constantly looking at ways of diversifying so we get the maximum from the timber we bring through the gates, but it is increasingly short supply due to a lack of investment [in tree planting] since the 1990s.

"There is a huge market for our timber and every sawmill in Wales could double or treble production if the timber was there to feed the mills."