The Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee has launched an inquiry into the role of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEfRA) in supporting a thriving forest economy and environment.
The Committee writes:
The all-party group of MPs noted that the forestry sector contributes some £1.7bn a year to the economy and indirectly supports 43,000 jobs. ’Woods and forests, particularly ancient forests, provide many environmental benefits including enhancing biodiversity and supporting a range of ecosystem services such as water management and climate control’ it pointed out.
This inquiry will investigate how effective government policies are and how they should be developed to increase the level of tree cover and balance woodland protection, including that of ancient forests, with economic exploitation (i.e. developing their potential for energy generation).
