THERE must be an "urgent step change" in the sustainable management of the UK's woodlands, leading organisations have said. 

The Institute of Chartered Foresters (ICF) and the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM) are calling on governments to ensure the nation's forests are actively cared for and maximised to their full potential. 

Arguing there has been failure of policy to increase the proportion of woodland under active management, the chartered bodies went on to say woodland creation has been the too-narrow focus of policy in recent years, with existing woodlands "remaining a huge, missed opportunity". 

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Writing in a new paper – titled 'Management of Existing UK Woodlands: An Opportunity for Green Prosperity' – experts said: "We need all types of woodland, recognising that some are better for biodiversity, some for producing essential timber and wood products, and others for recreation and wellbeing.

"All the benefits that woodlands provide – for biodiversity, recreation, timber, flood alleviation, health and wellbeing, soil health, carbon sequestration, cooling cities, resilience to climate change, reducing air pollution, shelter for livestock, food production – are delivered much more effectively when the woodland is appropriately managed.

"However, many of those purposes do not have any funding associated. 

"Ownership of woodlands is fragmented, and landowners do not have the knowledge, incentive, or confidence to understand and act on the natural capital value of their woodlands."

The paper also: 

  • Repeated the ICF's warning of a skills crisis in forestry, concluding there is a shortage not just in professional foresters and ecologists but also in contractors to carry out the work
  • Argued the proportion of woodland not actively managed has not meaningfully improved for the last 40 years

The call comes shortly after MPs backed the creation of mixed woodlands going forward in the UK, even going so far as to say a proportion of all tree planting should include a set target of softwood species. 

The paper went on: "We need urgently to prioritise helping private landowners to bring more existing woodlands into sustainable management by increasing the pace, breadth and scale of ambition in policy, legislation and financial incentives.

"We urge governments and partners to commit to urgent action and to working with us to enable our woodlands to deliver for nature and people."