Welcome to the Institute’s policy update focusing on key developments shaping forestry and land use policy, upcoming consultations, CPD events, and opportunities for member engagement.
Headline updates
Forestry Commission leadership and policy tone
The outgoing Forestry Commission Chair, Sir William Worsley MICFor, reflected on and reinforced three policy priorities likely to shape 2026–2030:
- Climate‑resilient woodland design
- Integration of timber production with nature recovery
- Stronger alignment between research (Forest Research) and regulation
This signalled continuity rather than radical change, but with greater emphasis on active management rather than pure creation.
Deer impacts policy statement
The most significant policy development of the quarter was Defra’s deer impacts policy statement, a 10‑year plan (2026–2036) to address escalating damage to woodlands. Key features include:
- Formal recognition that around one‑third of England’s woodlands are negatively affected by deer
- A shift away from reliance on fencing and tree shelters towards landscape‑scale deer management
- Clear links between deer control and delivery of:
- Woodland creation grants
- Felling licences
- Woodland management plans
- Expanded training and skills pipelines
- Support for wild venison markets as part of sustainable population control
- Potential future licensing and legislative reform to address barriers faced by tenants and managers
Updated five‑year grey squirrel policy statement
Alongside the deer impacts statement, Defra published an updated five-year grey squirrel policy statement. Notable shifts included:
- Stronger emphasis on landowner responsibility for control
- Explicit recognition of shooting and trapping as core tools
- Requirement for woodland management plans linked to grants to include squirrel control actions
Woodland creation, planning and local authority guidance
The Forestry Commission updated comprehensive guidance for local authorities on trees and woodland planning, with further revisions in early March. Key policy implications:
- Stronger expectations for early Forestry Commission engagement in planning
- Clearer alignment between woodland creation funding, design standards and landscape character
- Reinforcement of the UK Forestry Standard as the baseline for sustainable management
This update supports the government’s push for better spatial planning of tree cover, particularly in peri‑urban and infrastructure‑affected landscapes.
Institute news
Call for Expert Committee on Forest Science members
The Institute publicised a call for experts to sit on a new Forest Science Committee, signalling a push to strengthen the scientific underpinning of forestry and land-use policy, and to improve links between research, practice, and decision-making.
Nature Restoration Fund: early information for nature markets and the wider sector
Early guidance was shared on the emerging Nature Restoration Fund, highlighting its potential role in developing private investment and nature markets while stressing the need for ecological credibility, additionality, and professional oversight.
Policy statement: Protecting London’s Urban Forest in a Changing Climate (30 Jan 2026)
The Institute contributed to this policy statement, addressing climate risks to London’s urban trees, emphasising species diversity, future climate suitability, and long-term management planning. It reinforced urban forestry as critical infrastructure for public health, cooling, and resilience.
A call to action: Forestry, timber security and national resilience
The Institute put out a call to action framing domestic timber production as a strategic resilience issue, linking forestry policy to supply chain security, climate mitigation, and economic stability. It called for more support for productive forestry and long-term investment signals.
National Audit Office report on the Nature for Climate Fund
The Institute summarised key findings from the NAO’s assessment of the Nature for Climate Fund, noting concerns around delivery pace, governance, and value for money, while reinforcing the importance of forestry professionals in improving outcomes.
Defra publishes responses from call for evidence on the private sector in nature recovery
This update examined Defra’s published responses, highlighting strong interest in private investment but also widespread concern about standards, market integrity, and the need for trusted professional frameworks to avoid greenwashing.
Special Interest Groups
Our Special Interest Groups continue to meet quarterly, including two new Special Interest Groups on International Knowledge Exchange and Silviculture. The groups are busy planning and delivering #MembersHours, webinars, TREES articles and in-person CPD events.
#MembersHour, webinars and workshops
We try to organise a good range of Members’ Hours, webinars and workshops, both in terms of geographic spread and subject matter, to ensure all sectors within our diverse membership are represented. Members’ Hours, webinars and workshops run since the last roundup were as follows:
- 15 January – #MembersHour Beavers: Ecology, Behaviour and Living with an Ecosystem Engineer
- 21 January – Green Finance webinar 1: Introduction to Nature Markets: The importance of helping participants understand the fundamental principles of nature markets, including the concept of additionality and the differences between mandatory and voluntary markets.
- 29 January – #MembersHour Protecting Trees from Mammal Damage
- 19 February – #MembersHour Emerging Forestry Species in England
- 24 February – Green Finance webinar 2: Nature Credit Markets and Products: Specific schemes such as the Woodland Carbon Code, Peatland Carbon Code, and Biodiversity Net Gain.
- 3 March – Resilient Silviculture for the Future webinar 1: Setting the scene: The key principles that support climate-adaptive, diverse, and future-ready forests.
- 12 March – #MembersHour Deer Management for Foresters: Now and in the Future
- 17 March – Green Finance webinar 3: Project Generation: Site identification and assessment, stacking, bundling opportunities, and engaging with contractors.
- 18 March – Resilient Silviculture for the Future Webinar 2: Risks: The key risks to our forests: Drought, wind, bark beetles, extreme heat, and wildfire – and how they interact under a changing climate.
- 26 March – #MembersHour The Use of Biochar in the Urban Avenue Restoration
- #TreeSurgery: An informal monthly drop-in session for all members working in forestry, environment, arboriculture and urban forestry to get together to talk all things trees
#MembersHour recordings are available in the library section of the Members Area. Please feel free to get in touch if you have ideas for future #MembersHour sessions.
Future Member Network and national events during 2026
We have a full calendar of regional and national events for 2026. Visit our Events Calendar for upcoming events.
Forestry
The journal Forestry is available exclusively online and is free to all members. Click here to access the Forestry Journal Archive at Oxford University Press.
Public sector engagement
We continue to build upon the strong relationship we have with DAERA, Defra, Forestry England, Forest Research, Forestry Commission, Forestry and Land Scotland, Natural Resources Wales, and Scottish Forestry. Please feel free to contact get in touch if there is anything you would like us to address on your behalf.
Consultations and political advocacy
Responding to public consultations is an important way to influence policy. We consult with members as much as possible and often work in partnership with other organisations to strengthen our messages. We also produce papers on specific topics where it is important to publish our position here.
We have responded to the following consultations since the last Roundup:
- Consultation on solid fuel burning – taking action to reduce fine particulate matter and smoke emissions
This UK wide consultation set out proposals to reduce emissions from domestic burning through: Stricter emission limits for new stoves; Mandatory labelling for stoves and fuels; and increased enforcement penalties. Read our response
- National Planning Policy Framework: proposed reforms and other changes to the planning system
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, sought views on how they might revise national planning policy to support wider objectives. Read our response
- Common Biomass Sustainability Framework
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, sought views on a common biomass sustainability framework to strengthen existing biomass criteria and ensure greater consistency across sectors. Read our response
- Draft Climate Change Plan
Scottish Government sought views on their draft Climate Change Plan. Read our response
- Future Climate Suitability of London’s Public Realm Trees
The Institute wrote a Policy Brief supporting the findings from Future Climate Suitability of London’s Public Realm Trees, calling for swift and decisive action to prevent avoidable loss of the city’s tree canopy, urging policymakers and stakeholders to act now to safeguard London’s urban forest for future generations. Read our response
- Circular Economy Strategy consultation
Scottish Government sought views on their draft Circular Economy Strategy. Read our response
We also encouraged members to respond to:
- Consultation opens on amended UKWAS 5 text on game-release pens
UKWAS asked stakeholders for their views on a proposed amendment to UKWAS 5 requirements for game-release pens.
Position papers
Shaping the Institute’s role in delivering the UK’s timber ambitions
We have convened a group of Fellows to contribute to a collective strategic brief that sets out the Institute’s role in supporting the UK’s wider ambitions for woodland creation for timber.
Recent ICF updates reinforce the relevance:
- Ongoing policy focus on timber security and national resilience
- The forthcoming purdah periods for Scotland and Wales (31 March – 7 May) require that publication is timed carefully, as previously noted.
