Forestry Commission Ministers and Commissioners
The Forestry Commission is both a government department and a statutory body with a board of Commissioners.
The board consists of a Chair and up to 10 other Forestry Commissioners, who are appointed by the King on the recommendation of Ministers. The Commissioners have a number of specific statutory duties and powers. These can be summarised from the Forestry Act as:
- promoting the interests of forestry
- the development of afforestation
- the production and supply of timber and other forest products
In practice, these mainly relate to providing incentives (grants), regulation though controls on felling, plant health issues and managing the public forest estate.
The Commissioners have a legal duty to seek a reasonable balance between the production and supply of timber and the interests of conservation. In promoting the multiple benefits of forestry, they also seek to take careful account of the needs and wishes of people and local communities.
The Forestry Commissioners are also the Competent Authority Plant Health Act 1967
Ministers
- The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is The Rt Hon Steve Barclay MP
- The minister with responsibility for forestry is Rebecca Pow MP
Commissioners
- Sir William Worsley - Chair
- Richard Stanford CB MBE - Forestry Commissioner
- Julia Grant - Forestry Commissioner
- Peter Latham - Forestry Commissioner
- Jennie Price - Forestry Commissioner
- Hilary Allison - Forestry Commissioner
- Sandy Storrie - Forestry Commissioner
- Ross Murray - Forestry Commissioner
- Professor Arthur (Jo) Bradwell - Forestry Commissioner
Terms of reference
The Board of Commissioners:
- Ensure that Commissioners’ statutory duties are fulfilled
- Oversee changes to the Forestry Commission’s role or governance structure
- Delegate by administrative order to the Boards of Forestry England, Forest Services and Forest Research such functions as are required to support the formation and delivery of the government’s forestry and woodlands policy in England
- Appoint a National Committee and Regional Advisory Committees in accordance with the Forestry Act 1967
- Maintain an overview of corporate risk
Commissioners’ Register of interests
Read the Commissioners’ Register of interests
Meetings and meeting papers
The board meets twice per year.
Read the Board of Commissioners’ agendas, meeting papers and minutes