Defra officials get insight into multiple benefits of modern forestry

Key topics discussed included: 

• The benefits of wood production to the estate, including paying for the continued management of the woodland;
• Challenges to woodland management from squirrels, deer and disease;
• The importance of skilled forest management to provide the quality of logs required for sawmilling.

Mr Goodall added: "It was especially helpful to show the Defra officials how the forest manager (Jamie Kirkman) was so interested in all aspects of the forest – such as the wildlife it supported and how attractive it was to walk through. As Confor keeps saying, modern, wood-producing forestry is not an either-or choice - it can deliver wide-ranging benefits for the economy and the environment, as well as for people and wildlife.

"We plan to organise further visits for Defra officials to continue highlighting the key role of our industry in a green economic recovery - and why forestry and wood processing is so vital to the UK's long-term environmental and economic future."