Regional contacts

Forestry Commission Research Agency
Gary Kerr ()

Small Woods Association LBG
Ian Baker ()

Rural Development Initiatives Ltd
Will Richardson ()

Read the feature in SIMWOOD's October 2017 newsletter

Find out about:

• SIMWOOD's work in the region
• Pilot project: Living Working Woods – The
  mobilisation of social, environmental and
  economic assets of undermanaged and
  underutilised woodlands

Specific situation

• Interesting contrast in ownership between state-owned forests and private ownership.
• Private ownerships very variable, from traditional estates with a long history of woodland management to individuals with small parcels of unmanaged woodland.
• Also intermediate scale woodlands that have recently passed from the state to community groups which intend to manage their woodlands for a wide range of objectives.
• Many privately owned woodlands poorly stocked with limited regeneration, and are on sensitive organic soils.

Main challenges

• Uptake of novel systems and the products/markets they can provide.
• Stands of lodgepole pine currently under threat from Dothistroma needle blight (Dothistroma pini), a fungus that kills the tree over 2-4 seasons. How can these be used to recoup some of the investment made?