Tag: Forestry Commission

The press release issued by the Forestry Commission on 1 September 2025.

Killer spruce tree pest has now been successfully eradicated from all 13 outbreak sites in England identified in 2021.

The government’s world-leading eradication programme has successfully eradicated the eight-toothed spruce bark beetle from all outbreak sites in England that were identified in 2021, it has been revealed today (Monday 1 September).

The eight-toothed spruce bark beetle known as Ips typographus is a serious pest of spruce trees in Europe which was first identified in the UK in 2018. It prefers stressed or dying trees but under the right conditions it can attack healthy trees.

Successful elimination by the Forestry Commission at the 13 outbreak sites follows three years of monitoring on site for beetle presence, gathering data and carrying out regular surveillance to determine eradication and prevent the establishment of breeding beetles. This illustrates that the policy approach and operational activity led by the Forestry Commission and Forest Research is proving successful in limiting the risk of the pest establishing in the UK. If left unmanaged, the pest could significantly threaten Great Britain’s forestry and timber industries putting an estimated 725,000 hectares of spruce, with a value of £2.9 billion, at risk of infestation and damage. 725,000 hectares is an area the size of Cumbria.

Continued vigilance is urged, however, following a new very small finding in July which has been identified in Lincolnshire. This was identified as part of continued surveillance to identify outbreaks. Current evidence suggests outbreaks are the results from blow over of the pest from the European mainland where it is endemic. There is no evidence of spread – or of impacts on healthy spruce – in the UK. We’re urging landowners and land managers to report any Ips typographus sightings immediately via Tree Alert to help reduce the risk of the pest spreading.

Defra Chief Plant Health Officer Professor Nicola Spence said:

“We are very encouraged by the fact that our world-leading programme has successfully eradicated the eight-toothed spruce bark beetle from 2021 outbreak sites.

“We are seeing with a changing climate an ever increasing risk from pests and diseases and it requires a huge effort by the Plant Health Service to manage outbreaks.”

Forestry Commission Director of Forest Services Dr Anna Brown said:

“The success of our eradication and monitoring programme shows that we are managing to keep this pest from establishing in England, but this takes a huge amount of effort and the continued support of the woodland and forestry sector.

“Spruce is important for our current timber security, and it is vital that we remain vigilant, especially with this warm weather which results in a heightened risk of trees becoming stressed and more vulnerable to pest and disease threats. There is no evidence of spread within the UK, but all landowners and land managers should continue to check the health of spruce trees on their land.”

Woodland managers, landowners and the forestry sector are urged to remain on guard following recent weather conditions which mean there is an increased risk of an Ips typographus infestation, and to continue to comply with ongoing restrictions for movement of spruce material and methods of forest operations in the Demarcated Area.

Additional information:

• After eradication, outbreak sites are monitored for beetle presence over three years, gathering data and carrying out regular surveillance activities. Extensive surveillance on these sites shows no ongoing presence of breeding Ips typographus, following exhaustive removal of susceptible spruce on each site to prevent establishment and onward spread.
• All outbreak sites are subject to robust eradication action in line with the Ips typographus contingency plan.
• Landowners, land managers and timber processors are encouraged to report any sightings immediately via Tree Alert to help reduce the risk of the pest spreading.
• A grant is available within the Proactive Spruce Removal Area as part of the Tree Health Pilot.
• A map indicating the ‘Proactive Spruce Removal area’ is available via this link.
• An updated Outbreak Sites Summary Map is available via this link
• Defra will host a workshop later this year, to continue to exchange knowledge with the international plant health community on innovative and technological solutions for managing bark beetle pests.
• Volunteers from England, Wales and Scotland who have spruce growing in woodland that they own or manage, and who are willing to host and collect samples by installing a spruce bark beetle trap, are wanted for a national monitoring project to help prevent the potential spread of Ips typographus. This project is run by Forest Research, Forestry Commission and the Sylva Foundation. By taking part in this project, you can become part of an early warning system and help prompt action to be taken to limit the impacts of this pest.
• A new Spruce Site Assessment grant is set to be launched to accelerate the removal of susceptible spruce across the highest risk areas to support landowners through the process of removing spruce from their land. This will help landowners gather information on what spruce is on their land, its condition and the associated costs of removing it as well as any grant funding they may be eligible for.
• More details will be announced in the autumn.

The press release issued by the Forestry Commission on 22 April 2025.

A series of appointments and reappointments have been made to the Forestry Commission Board.

By Royal Warrant, His Majesty King Charles III has appointed Kate Cheetham as a Non-Executive Commissioner. Her appointment began on 1 April 2025 and will run for three years until 31 March 2028.

Jennie Price has been reappointed for a third term of two years as Non-Executive Commissioner. This will run from 1 April 2025 until 31 March 2027.

Peter Latham will continue as a Non-Executive Commissioner for an additional six months from 1 April 2025 until 30 September 2025.

All appointments have been made on merit and in accordance with the Ministerial Governance Code on Public Appointments.

Biographies

Kate Cheetham

Kate is the Chief Legal Officer and Company Secretary of Lloyds Banking Group (LBG), where she advises the Board and executive team on legal and governance matters and leads the Group’s Legal and Secretariat function. She joined LBG in 2005, having previously worked as a corporate lawyer at Linklaters and run a commercial art gallery in London. Kate is passionate about inclusion and diversity, and has been a champion for social mobility and women’s leadership within the Group. She also served as a trustee of the Lloyds Bank Foundation for seven years, supporting grassroots charities across the UK.

Jennie Price

Jennie Price was the CEO of Sport England. Jennie is a qualified lawyer and has previously been the CEO of WRAP, a Defra-supported environmental organisation specialising in recycling and resources management. She retains an active interest in sport and is Chair of the international supervisory board on integrity in tennis. She is also a trustee of the Canal and River Trust and until very recently was Chair of Trustees of the Scouts in the UK. Jennie brings considerable expertise in engaging wide sectors of the community in outdoor activities and has an excellent understanding of the links to health and wellbeing.

Peter Latham

Peter Latham is a director of Association Technique Internationale des Bois Tropicaux (ATIBT or the International Tropical Timber Technical Association) and a trustee of the Commonwealth Forestry Association. He was previously CEO and chair of the timber distributor James Latham Plc., and chair of the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification International. Peter brings extensive knowledge of the timber industry and experience of successful stakeholder engagement on an international level.

Notes for Editors

• The Forestry Commission increases the value of woodlands to society and the environment.
• It is a non-ministerial department, supported by Forest Research and Forestry England.
• Non-Executive Commissioners play a pivotal role in establishing a strong, sustainable future for the organisation.

The press release issued by the Forestry Commission on 8 December 2022.

In a speech at the Confor conference today, Forestry Commission Chief Executive, Richard Stanford, called for a new approach to how we view trees and forestry in England.

In a major speech at the Confor conference in Westminster today (Thursday 8 December), Forestry Commission Chief Executive, Richard Stanford, called for a new approach to how we view trees and forestry in England.

He championed the major benefits of tree planting in addressing the urgent climate, biodiversity and economic challenges of the day and called for an acceleration in tree planting rates across the country. He highlighted how we need to adopt a diverse planting mix of both broadleaves and conifers, which will simultaneously improve biodiversity, tackle the climate emergency and provide timber security. He also called for people to rethink “dogma” around conifer trees; too many people view them as a poor choice, overlooking the fact that the UK is the second largest importer of timber and timber products in the world.

He highlighted how the UK is facing a timber security crisis akin to the food security crisis and back calls for a national timber strategy to boost domestic production and reduce our reliance on imports. 53 million tonnes of wood and wood products are consumed in the UK each year; however, 81% is imported from abroad. Mr Stanford highlighted that stepping up domestic timber production and its use in construction will significantly reduce emissions and lock up carbon in buildings, whilst also presenting valuable opportunities for economic growth, rural jobs and levelling up. At the same time, broadleaf and mixed woodlands are needed to tackle the biodiversity crisis. All types of trees are required for a range of different, and overlapping, outcomes.

Forestry Commission Chief Executive, Richard Stanford said:

If we are to achieve Net Zero and improve people’s lives through a connection to the environment, we must grow more trees. If we are to tackle the nature and biodiversity crises, we need to grow more trees.

We must use more home-grown timber in construction to lock up carbon in our buildings for the long term…we cannot continue importing 81% of our timber. We need a timber strategy to establish how we are going to achieve this, and at the same time give reassurance to our important timber and forestry industries.

The UK forestry and primary wood processing sectors support 32,000 jobs and contribute £2 billion to the economy every year. Secondary wood processing businesses support a further 60,000 jobs.

Reflecting on the economic contributions of the forestry and construction sectors, Richard Stanford said:

The economic benefits provided by forestry and primary wood processing are comparable to those of the dairy products sector and are greater than those provided by the UK fishing fleet.

We do not grow enough timber for construction in the UK and we import 81% of our requirements. With the removal of Russian and Belarusian timber, there will be a requirement to seek other supplies.

We should view ‘timber security’ through the same lens as food security and recognise that investing in timber is an investment in growth and levelling up.

The construction industry in England is responsible for huge levels of emissions; timber is the only way to reduce emissions in construction whilst concurrently locking up carbon for the long term in the timber in buildings.

Voicing his support for planting well-designed and managed mixed woodlands, he said:

Well-managed broadleaf woodlands provide habitat for a vast array of flora and fauna. Conifers and mixed woodland also contribute to biodiversity.

We must end the dogma of native broadleaf good, conifer bad. Well-managed conifer forests with plenty of light and structure can support a wide range of wildlife, including woodland birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles, plants and fungi. Mature conifers provide roosting holes for bats, nest sites for kites, goshawk and pine martens and seeds for red squirrels, siskins and crossbills. We need all types of woodlands for a range of outcomes and we need diversity in our trees to provide resilience.

Addressing the challenge of increasing tree planting rates and woodland creation, he said:

Woodland is the most regulated form of land use in England, odd given the huge number of benefits of trees. No other land use is underpinned by a standard that is backed by government and based on internationally agreed criteria and indicators.

If we do not plan and deliver woodland expansion now in a few years’ time there is likely to be a scramble to grow more trees. Rushing to grow trees without adhering to the very high standards of today will lead to mistakes.

There is much talk of ‘emergencies’ and ‘crises’ but I do not, yet, recognise a crisis response or an emergency footing. We can achieve a great deal if we act as though we are facing an emergency. Idealism and purists, while important, need to give way to pragmatism and delivery. Balanced decisions will be required, weighing up all sides of an argument and making an informed decision – informed by science and data. Emergencies and crises need action now, not prevarication and delay. The nation needs to work together to tackle the nature and biodiversity crises and trees provide the most cost-effective, organic and sustainable method of doing so. We need more of all types of trees.

The speech followed the culmination of National Tree Week – the UK’s largest annual celebration of trees – which marks the beginning of the winter planting season and as the UN Convention on Biological Diversity gets underway. The Government has set out ambitious targets of trebling tree planting rates in England, as part of wider efforts to plant 30,000 hectares per year across the UK by the end of this Parliament. The Forestry Commission is supporting Government ambitions through the implementation of the England Trees Action Plan which sets out the long-term vision for our treescapes.