Resilient forests, secure timber: Forestry England launches new Resilience Strategy and Action Plan

The strategy sets out a proactive approach to managing risk across England’s public forest estate, combining decades of scientific research and operational experience under three core principles: Assess, Diversify and Restore. It aims to ensure that England’s forests remain healthy, adaptive and sustainable for generations to come.

Dr Eleanor Tew, Head of Forest Planning at Forestry England, said the new framework reflects the organisation’s commitment to taking early, science-based action to strengthen the resilience of the nation’s forests.

"The Forest Resilience Strategy brings together our best evidence and experience to prepare for the challenges ahead," she said. "By acting now, we can help ensure that England’s forests continue to thrive and deliver benefits for people, nature and the economy."

Confor has welcomed the publication of Forestry England’s new resilience strategy, recognising the importance of planning for the long-term health of the nation’s forests in the face of growing environmental pressures. As the producer of around 40 per cent of England’s home-grown timber, Forestry England’s approach will have a direct bearing on the success of the Government’s Timber in Construction Roadmap (TiCR) and the stability of the domestic timber supply chain. This is crucial to maintaining the confidence of wood processors and investors.

"We fully support Forestry England’s proactive focus on resilience," said John Bruce, Confor’s National Manager for England. "The strategy provides important reassurance that the nation’s forests are being managed with the long term supply of timber in mind. Our members welcome this and recognise the scale of the challenge involved."

Commitment to sustainable timber production

In setting out the new strategy, Forestry England highlighted to Confor the continuing importance of timber to the nation’s forests, saying:

"The nation’s forests currently contribute 40% of England’s total wood supply to market, whilst delivering a huge diversity of other essential environmental and social benefits. Our productive capacity remains strong, and we are committed to maximising timber output within sustainable parameters."

Confor said this statement offers welcome reassurance that productive forestry remains integral to resilience and plays a central role in delivering the TiCR. The organisation noted that maintaining this visibility publicly will help build confidence in the future of home-grown timber and the contribution of Forestry England’s forests to the UK’s low-carbon economy.

Protecting future supply

Forestry England has reiterated that sustainable timber production remains a key outcome of its approach to forest resilience, stating:

"We remain committed to optimising sustainable timber production for the sector. Our approach to forest resilience is designed to protect and stabilise long-term availability. By building forest resilience now, we aim to prevent supply disruptions and market volatility that would result from a sudden, large-scale decline in forest productivity."

Forestry England noted that predicting future timber volumes remains challenging because of the many environmental and market variables involved. The organisation continues to work closely with Forest Research to refine production forecasts and has commissioned bespoke scenario modelling to assess how different management approaches and conditions might affect future timber availability.

"This research will continue to inform our management decisions," said Dr Tew. "By basing our actions on the best available science, we can help secure the forests’ ability to deliver timber and a wide range of other benefits for generations to come."

Confor welcomed this evidence-based approach, noting that close collaboration with Forest Research will be crucial in giving the wider sector confidence that productive forestry can remain both sustainable and adaptable.

"That’s an important message for industry," John Bruce said. "Resilience and productivity must be seen as part of the same equation. Building resilience strengthens timber security - it doesn’t weaken it."

Ensuring resilience and productivity go hand-in-hand

Confor’s review of the strategy recognises its strong focus on biodiversity and adaptation, but stresses that greater visibility of timber and productive forestry within the resilience narrative would help underline the sector’s contribution to economic growth and climate targets.

"Forestry England’s leadership is crucial," John Bruce added. "As the largest supplier of home-grown timber in England, its management choices directly influence the future strength of the UK’s low-carbon economy. We want to see continued emphasis on species that can deliver structural timber for construction — building on the proven success of Sitka spruce and developing complementary alternatives."

Confor noted that the strategy clearly supports many of the aims of the National Wood Strategy for England and the Government’s Timber in Construction Roadmap (TiCR). These connections offer a valuable opportunity to highlight how forest resilience, future timber supply and low-carbon construction are interlinked, helping to demonstrate the role of sustainable forest management in achieving national climate and housing goals.

Aligning Forestry England’s resilience and planning work with the 50-year national timber forecast, Confor said, would provide additional reassurance to processors and investors about the continuity of domestic supply.

A shared message for the sector

The Forest Resilience Strategy and Action Plan will now guide Forestry England’s operational decisions across the nation’s forests. Confor will continue to engage through the Forestry England Liaison Group, supporting implementation and ensuring that the strategy’s ambition for resilient, diverse forests remains firmly linked to the nation’s timber security and economic resilience.

"Resilient forests deliver for people, nature, climate and the economy," John Bruce concluded. "Forestry England’s new strategy is an important step in ensuring that the forests we rely on today continue to provide for future generations."