Helping shape a more constructive approach to engagement in forestry
The Institute is proud to have contributed to the development of the new document Guidelines for Respectful and Constructive Engagement in Forestry Management (Scotland), published by Confor. These guidelines were developed collaboratively with partners from across the forestry sector, including Scottish Forestry, Forestry and Land Scotland, Scottish Woodlands, Tilhill Forestry and the Scottish Land Commission. […]
Institute signs joint letter urging Defra to publish Circular Economy Growth Plan
In May 2026, the Environmental Policy Forum (EPF) wrote to Emma Reynolds MP, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs. The EPF is a coalition of 17 professional bodies and learned societies, including the Institute, that promote environmental sustainability and resilience for the public benefit. What we are calling for: In the […]
Exploring natural methods to protect trees from large herbivores
Student member of the Institute, Alexandros Theodorou, has recently published a methods paper, Natural Methods to Protect Trees Against Large Herbivores: A Systematic Mapping Protocol, and is now conducting an evidence synthesis to collate research on “natural” tree protection methods. These methods, such as nurse plants, brash, debris, hedges, and logs, offer cost-effective, ecologically sustainable […]
Policy: Protecting London’s Urban Forest in a Changing Climate
The Institute of Chartered Foresters has responded to the Future Climate Suitability of London’s Public Realm Trees report, published in November 2025 and authored by Dr Andrew Hirons and Kevin Martin: The Institute of Chartered Foresters (ICF) fully supports the findings from Future Climate Suitability of London’s Public Realm Trees and calls for swift and decisive action to prevent avoidable […]
Call for Expert Committee on Forest Science members
The Board of Forestry Commissioners established the Expert Committee on Forest Science (ECFS) to provide independent, expert advice and assurance on the quality of science and evidence provided by the Forestry Commission’s (FC) research agency Forest Research (FR) and other providers. As a committee member there is an opportunity to make a significant contribution to the […]
Help gather evidence of grey squirrel damage to trees
A major survey to assess the damage caused to trees and woods by non-native grey squirrels – last estimated to cost England and Wales £37 million a year – is being launched across the UK. The UK Squirrel Accord is asking landowners, managers and anyone with owner permission to carry out tree damage surveys in […]
Halfway update from Emyr Parker on forestry exchange in New Zealand
Emyr Parker is one of two candidates selected for the Young Professional Foresters’ Exchange Programme (2024-2025) and is spending three months in New Zealand working for Juken NZ. Emyr has shared a halfway update on his experience on the exchange programme. Having spent the first half of my exchange at Masterton, I had the opportunity […]
Institute signs joint letter to the Prime Minister & Chancellor on the value of nature
Today, the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM) published a letter sent to the Prime Minister and Chancellor on behalf of 11 professional bodies, including the Institute of Chartered Foresters, in the UK who are deeply concerned about increasing tension between growth and nature. We argue that the idea of choosing between housing […]
Defra opens consultation on Land Use Framework
The UK Government has launched the much-anticipated Land Use Consultation, kickstarting a 12-week period that will help to shape our natural and built environments in England for decades to come. This consultation presents the government’s assessment of the scale of land use change required to meet Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP) and Climate Change Act targets, […]
Have your say on woodland management & protected species
Natural England and the Forestry Commission are working together to better understand the interactions between woodland management operations and protected species. Woodland managers have an important opportunity to demonstrate the measures they undertake already for protected species when carrying out woodland operations by responding to this survey. We are encouraging our members who are woodland […]
Survey on managing access in ancient woodlands
The Forestry Commission, supported by Footprint Ecology, is evaluating access management in ancient woodlands through a questionnaire designed for site managers and woodland owners. They want to hear about access measures you have implemented and their effectiveness in promoting responsible behaviour, reducing impacts, and protecting ancient woodlands. The questionnaire is available here and should take […]
Have your say on community tree nurseries
“Community tree nurseries are invaluable,” says Jackie Shallcross, a project lead for Trees Outside Woodlands at The Tree Council. “They produce high-quality tree stock often growing species which are local or rare.” Run almost-entirely by volunteers, these enterprises are a focus of the Trees Outside Woodlands project, a partnership between the Department for Environment, Food […]
Feed into a Forestry Sector Skills Plan for England
To enable forestry to thrive we need many more people and a variety of new skills and knowledge. Over the past year a steering team of key forestry organisations has been working to set the strategic direction for sector skills. Together they aim to create a sector skills plan – a ten-year vision for the […]
Share your views on first aid certificates in land-based apprenticeships
Adrow Ltd is seeking members’ views to clarify and improve the first aid qualifications needed in land-based apprenticeships. The agriculture, arboriculture, countryside, forestry, horticulture and landscaping trailblazer groups are checking the approach taken to mandating first aid certificates in apprenticeship standards. Currently some occupational standards limit mandated first aid courses to Nationally Regulated Qualifications (Ofqual […]
Understanding and supporting public access to woodlands
Are you a woodland owner, manager or forestry professional with views and experiences you could share with researchers about public access to woodlands? If so, you are invited to take part in the latest British Woodlands Survey exploring all aspects of public access to woodlands. This important new research in the respected national survey is […]
The Environmental Policy Forum sets out priorities for the next UK Government
Ahead of the UK General Election on 4 July, the Environmental Policy Forum (EPF) has outlined the environmental priorities the next government must implement with urgency during its time in office. A coalition of professional bodies and learned societies, the EPF was established to promote environmental sustainability and resilience for the public benefit. The Institute […]
Help improve the new Plant Health Information service
The Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) is developing a new ‘Plant Health Information service’ to enable users to search for up-to date information about plant imports, biosecurity risk and trade requirements. This new service will provide specific answers to questions such as: Is this plant prohibited from the country I am importing […]
Is your forest fit for climate change?
Led by researchers at the University of Freiburg in Germany, the EU Horizon 2020 project RESONATE aims to enhance the resilience of European forests and their value chains. As part of the project, a survey has been published to investigate the possible adaptation measures for forests and related value chains in Europe and hopes to […]
Get involved with a DiversiTree project
Dr Seumas Bates, Research Officer in Environmental Social Science at Bangor University’s School of Environmental and Natural Sciences, is looking to hear from woodland managers as part of work with the DiversiTree project. Dr Bates is looking to engage with particularly excellent or interesting examples of specific woodland management methods and hopes to interview woodland […]
Institute responds to farming scheme updates
The Institute of Chartered Foresters (ICF) welcomes the recent upgrade to farming schemes announced by the Rt Hon Steve Barclay MP on Thursday 4 January 2024. As the biggest update to the UK’s farming schemes since leaving the European Union, we’re pleased to see trees on farms moving up the agenda based on their wider benefits to business […]
Barbie and forestry? Bear with me…
The National Association of State Foresters (NASF America) were quick off the mark with the film release of Barbie in July 2023. They produced a suite of forestry careers in a Facebook post less than two weeks later! I have no idea if you ever had Barbies or have bought them in recent times – […]
Help design Woodland Condition Assessment guides and training
Woodland Condition Assessments (WCA) are used to assess the ecological condition of woodlands and can inform management decisions to benefit biodiversity and access grants/other support. To make make WCA more accessible, the charity Field Studies Council is working on a project with the Forestry Commission and other partners to produce training courses, guides and a […]
ICF and CIEEM publish paper on bringing more woods into management
Management of Existing UK Woodlands: An Opportunity for Green Prosperity Today we published a joint position paper with the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM) that calls on governments and agencies across the UK to bring about an urgent step change in the sustainable management of existing woodlands. Our organisations jointly represent the full […]
Institute signs EPF response to Environmental Outcomes Report consultation
As a member of the Environmental Policy Forum (EPF), we recently signed their joint industry response to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities’ consultation into Environmental Outcomes reporting. The response outlined four key concerns relating to how a new approach to environmental reporting can be delivered in practice: Missing details Absence of research […]
Policy Roundup – January 2023
Our monthly policy and research blog updates you on the latest work at the Institute and how you can get involved. Institute news It has been a busy start to the year at the Institute. We are particularly excited to be working with the Chartered Institute for Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM) on a position […]
100 Days in Post – Louise Simpson, Executive Director
After taking over the role of Executive Director of the Institute at the start of July 2022, Louise Simpson looks back on her first 100 days in post… My first 100 days in post has flown by, but I have been enormously encouraged by the welcome and support the sector has shown me. There is […]
Have your say on the latest sector issues
Express your views on the UK timber industry, managing impacts of deer in England and land reform in Scotland How can we grow the UK timber industry and reduce global deforestation? The Environmental Audit Committee is seeking views on the sustainability of the UK’s timber industry and its links with imports of key […]
How can communities help make best use of Scotland’s forest and land?
How can we work with communities to make the best use of Scotland’s national forest and land? To find out, Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) have launched a consultation that will help set out key principles and strategic priorities that will inform their new Communities Strategy. The new strategy will sit alongside FLS’s Visitor Services […]
What is the future of forestry regulation in England?
On Wednesday 20 April the Institute facilitated a cross-sector discussion with a range of leading organisations on proposals set out in the Nature Recovery Green Paper that potentially spell major changes to forestry regulation in England. The group discussed challenges with the process for Environmental Impact Assessments, permanency of woodland, and proposals in the paper […]
Lead Ammunition and the UKWAS Standard…A Response
Following Richard White MICFor’s thoughts on the proposed ban on lead-based ammunition in UKWAS certified woods, Jonathan Spencer MBE, formerly Head of Environment for Forest England and a Member of the UKWAS Revision Working Group, responds… Lead has long been known to be a very toxic metal and recreational shooting and game management remain the last […]
Lead Ammunition and the UKWAS Standard…Opinion
In response to the proposed ban on lead-based ammunition in UKWAS certified woods, Richard White MICFor contacted the Institute to outline his views on the matter. I am very concerned about the proposed ban on lead-based ammunition in UKWAS certified woods. I do not believe this proposal is based on good science. My understanding is that […]
Call for Expert Committee on Forest Science member
The Forestry Commission Expert Committee on Forest Science (ECFS) makes a significant contribution to the development of forest science in the UK. This is at a time of unprecedented interest in the benefits which forestry can provide to society and the importance of objective evidence in guiding choices over trees, woods and forests. The ECFS […]
Scottish Environment Minister responds to skills position paper
We are pleased to have received another response to our position paper, Can’t See the Skills for the Trees, this time from Scotland’s Minister for Environment, Biodiversity and Land Reform, Màiri McAllan. The Insitute’s Executive Director, Shireen Chambers MBE FICFor, and Senior Policy Manager, Jemima Cooper, had a collaborative meeting with Ms McAllan on 16 […]
Policy Roundup – October 2021
Our monthly policy and research blog updates you on the latest work at the Institute and how you can get involved. Institute News Our Position Paper on the Forestry Skills Shortage In early October we published a position paper on the skills crisis in forestry which needs urgent action. We sent it to ministers across […]
Consultation opens on UKWAS 5 Second Revision Draft
Stakeholders are now being invited to comment on the Second Revision Draft of UKWAS 5. The consultation draft has been prepared by a chamber-balanced working group reflecting economic, environmental and social interests taking full account of stakeholder input. Chair of the working group and Institute Fellow, Peter Wilson FICFor, said: “We had fantastic feedback from […]
Policy Roundup – September 2021
Our monthly policy and research blog updates you on the latest work at the Institute and how you can get involved. Institute News Consultation Responses It has been a busy month for policy at the Institute. We published responses to the UKFS review key stakeholder consultation, Scottish Government’s consultation on Delivering Economic Transformation and DAERA’s […]