A Concordat between the National Forest
Company and the Forestry Commission England, 2009 to 2012 (TNF
2B)
PURPOSE
This is the third three-year Concordat between
the National Forest Company (NFC) and the Forestry Commission
England (FCE). It sets out how the two organisations will work
together to deliver the complementary objectives of the new National
Forest Delivery Plan, 2009-2014 and the Strategy for England's
Trees, Woods and Forests Delivery Plan 2008-2012. In common
with both documents, there is a continuing focus on new woodland
creation in The National Forest, but this is complemented by a
joint approach to maximise the quality of, and benefits arising
from, the growing woodlands in the area to benefit local people,
businesses and visitors to the Forest.
The Forestry Commission England. The Forestry
Commission in England is recognised and respected as an international
leader in sustainable forestry. The reputation of the FCE has
been built on expertise and the ability to achieve results that
benefit people's lives.
These benefits include the unique public forest
estate. Here, millions of visitors enjoy a wide range of recreational
activities. As well as timber forests, the FCE successfully manages
native woodlands and other important habitats for wildlife and
conservation such as heathlands and bogs. Building on this, the
work of the FCE is also increasingly benefiting people through
improvements to their environments—close to where they live
and where they work. In achieving all these benefits FCE works
with many partners—as a facilitator, as an enabler, and,
through the English Woodland Grant Scheme, as a funder and on
the land which it owns. This is achieved through targeting resources
to focus on areas of greatest opportunity and need, working in
partnerships to create a framework for positive action and by
the involvement of local businesses and communities.
The National Forest Company leads the creation
of The National Forest, a new, wooded landscape for the nation
across 200 square miles of central England. The National Forest
Company was established by Government in April 1995. It is a non-departmental
public body sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food
and Rural Affairs (Defra). The National Forest Company:
— Attracts and uses resources for ambitious,
sensitive and imaginative forest creation.
— Provides the setting for new businesses,
recreation, tourism and an improved quality of life.
— Enhances wildlife and biodiversity.
The National Forest Company works through working
partnerships with landowners, businesses, public, private and
voluntary organisations and local communities to fulfil the shared
vision for the Forest. It promotes the widest possible participation
in and enjoyment of the Forest. As the Forest matures, the Company
promotes at international, national and local levels the experience
and knowledge emerging from this inspiring and ambitious project.
Since 1995, progress on the creation of The National
Forest has been impressive. Tree cover has increased from 6% to
over 18% involving the planting of over 7 million new trees on
almost 5,500 hectares of land.
STRATEGIC CONTEXT
THE FORESTRY
COMMISSION ENGLAND
The Delivery Plan for the England's Trees, Woods
and Forests Strategy (ETWF) is intended to provide guidance and
support for delivery at regional and local levels, including through
the Regional Forestry Frameworks (RFF). It follows the five aims
of the ETWF:
A Sustainable Resource: to provide and
protect a sustainable resource of trees, woods and forests in
places where they can contribute most to society, by providing
the right scale of tree and woodland cover in the right locations;
and to ensure management in the most appropriate way, to maximise
their current and future value to our environment, economy and
society.
Climate Change: to ensure that existing
and newly planted trees, woods and forests are resilient to the
impacts of climate change and also contribute to the way in which
biodiversity and natural resources adjust to a changing climate.
Natural Environment: to protect and enhance
the environmental resources of water, soil, air, biodiversity
and landscapes (both woodland and non-woodland) and the cultural
and amenity values of trees and woodland.
Quality of Life: to increase the contribution that
trees, woods and forests make to the quality of life for those
living in, working in or visiting England.
Business and Markets: to improve the competitiveness
of woodland businesses and promote the development of new or improved
markets for sustainable woodland products and ecosystem services
where this will deliver identifiable public benefits, nationally
or locally, including the reduction of carbon emissions.
THE NATIONAL
FOREST COMPANY
The new Delivery Plan for The National Forest
to 2014, was published on 30th March 2009. It has five complementary
themes:
1. Keep creating The National Forest: a lower
but still ambitious Forest creation target of 200—250 ha
a year, with more linking up of existing woodlands.
2. Make the most of what we've created: a focus
on quality in all aspects of the Forest, its sites and attractions,
including management of existing woodlands.
3. Communities at the heart: doing more to ensure
that local communities know, love and are involved in their part
of the Forest.
4. Telling the story: communicating more to more
people, about the big picture for The National Forest and about
local sites.
5. A national showcase: The National Forest has
a lot to tell others about its successes, as well as things it
can learn from others.
Working with partners: this will be essential
if the objectives of the new delivery plan are to be fulfilled.
The next section of the Concordat outlines ten key ways in which
the NFC and the FC will work jointly to further develop and promote
The National Forest
KEY THEMES
FOR THE
CONCORDAT
By continuing to work together on issues of
common interest, our two organisations will achieve more. This
Concordat identifies a range of areas for co-operation and joint
action, and sets the agenda for further key actions which each
partner may take forward individually, furthering our shared objectives
for the Forest area. This joint approach will be taken forward
through an annual Action Plan.
KEEP CREATING
THE NATIONAL
FOREST
1. Grants and Incentives. We will continue
to work together to promote woodland creation; through the Changing
Landscapes Scheme and (where applicable) the English Woodland
Grant Scheme.
2. Land Acquisition. There is an aspirational
target for a 1,000ha Forestry Commission England estate in The
National Forest. At present the area extends to just under 700ha.
Joint acquisition will continue, commensurate with available budgets.
The National Forest Company and the Forestry Commission England
will facilitate the involvement of external funders and sponsors
in this process to increase the resources available. The aspiration
will be to add 30—50 ha of land annually to the Forestry
Commission England landholding over the period of the Concordat.
MAKE THE
MOST OF
WHAT WE'VE
CREATED
3. Management of existing woodlands.
We will work together to promote best practice in all aspects
of woodland creation and management (including the control of
pests and diseases) over the full range of conditions found in
the Forest area, including restoration sites. We will ensure that
best practice is promoted amongst the wide range of National Forest
landowners, through web-based information, leaflets, publications,
workshops and demonstrations. In addition, we will promote the
contribution that woodland creation makes to achieving local,
regional and national sustainable development objectives. We will
jointly develop local communities' understanding of, and engagement
in, good woodland management to ensure local "ownership"
of The National Forest long-term.
4. Developing the woodland economy.
We will work together to support the development of a sustainable
local woodland economy, based on wood products, wood energy and
the contribution that woodlands make to leisure, tourism and diversified
farm businesses. This will include the provision of training,
advice and support for woodland owners and woodland businesses
in the Forest.
5. Sustainable tourism. We will
work together to exploit the visitor potential for jointly owned
sites in the Forest and develop actions and programmes to minimise
the negative aspects of tourism in terms of access to sites and
activities on them.
6. Access and recreation. We will
work together to maximise good quality public access and high
quality, accessible sport and recreational opportunities in the
Forest in order to improve the health and quality of life of local
residents and to underpin the development of the tourism economy.
This work will include site development, quality standards, signage
and interpretation. We will develop business models to ensure
that new facilities are sustainable.
COMMUNITIES AT
THE HEART
7. Environmental education. We will
work together to continue to develop environmental education and
volunteering programmes, on jointly owned sites and through wider
partnerships.
8. Local communities and woodlands.
We will work to secure a sound legacy of a well-valued and well-understood
Forest through deeper community engagement on jointly owned sites.
TELLING THE
STORY
9. Promoting our achievements and engaging
new audiences. We will work together to demonstrate the achievements
of the Forest in environmental, social and economic terms. We
will jointly host dissemination events as appropriate. Locally,
we will ensure that local communities are aware of and involved
in plans for the development and management of jointly owned sites.
A NATIONAL SHOWCASE
10. Testbed for national research.
We will work together to test developing and current approaches
to forestry, including; climate change adaptation, landscape connectivity,
woodfuel and community involvement. This includes working with
Forest Research on species adaptability.
MEANS OF
DELIVERY
The National Forest Company will continue to
focus most of the annual grant in aid allocation from Defra on
Forest creation. The Forestry Commission England, subject to resource
available, will support joint land acquisitions and site development.
In addition, the Forestry Commission England
will promote the availability of woodland improvement and management
grants in the Forest area, aimed at maximising the benefits of
existing woodlands and, where eligible, those maturing woodlands
created under the National Forest Tender Scheme.
In addition, we will work together to identify
and pursue additional sources of funding to support joint land
purchase, special projects and the overall development of the
Forest. This will include local, regional, national, Government/European
and private sector funds and the green infrastructure programmes
associated with growth point proposals in the East and West Midlands.
MONITORING AND
KEEPING IN
TOUCH
The Concordat will cover three years from 2009
to 2012. The Chief Executive of the National Forest Company and
Forestry Commission Director (England) will meet once a year to
review progress, reporting to the Chairs who will meet periodically,
as deemed necessary. Half yearly monitoring meetings will take
place between the appropriate Forestry Commission England Regional
Directors, the Forest Management Director and the National Forest
Company Chief Officer Land and Project Development.
Lord Clark of Windermere
Forestry Commission England (Chair)
Dinah Nichols
National Forest Company (Chair)
October 2009
2009-10 ACTION PLAN—WE
WILL WORK
TOGETHER TO:
1. Enable woodland creation in The National
Forest, by promoting the Changing Landscapes Scheme and supporting
systems to enable it to operate according to national standards
and requirements and through the completion of a new joint land
acquisition.
2. Implement the agreed partnership approach
to encourage the management of existing woodlands in and around
The National Forest through a consultancy project and, on FCE
sites, to support the NFC in the completion of a "State of
The Forest Review" as a basis for promoting best practice
management in the future.
3. Implement the agreed partnership approach
to encourage the installation of woodfuel heating systems and
the development of woodfuel supply chains in and around The National
Forest.
4. Introduce the Making Woods Work programme
(subject to approval by emda), to support the development of the
woodland economy, including networking, collaboration, access
to regional business advice and grants and the development of
The National Forest Wood Fair and related trade events to promote
woodland management and product development and to seek engagement
from AWM to promote the woodland economy in the West Midlands
area of the Forest.
5. Continue the planting of the new Hartshorne
community woodland, ensuring areas are retained (if appropriate)
for future business sponsors and for Tree 4 All, to enable 20
planting days in winter 2009-10.
6. Commence the development of the off-road
cycling centre and associated facilities, at the Hicks Lodge Country
Park, including detailed design planning permission and engagement
with the local community. Expertise will be brought in to make
this a national example of "easy entry", high quality
cycling for families.
7. Continue to provide a fuel supply for
the woodfuel heating system at Rosliston Forestry Centre and to
help promote the system to visiting groups and work in partnership
with the NFC and SDDC to further develop Rosliston as a "centre
of excellence" for community forestry, including the construction
the new workshops.
8. Identify opportunities on FCE and NFC
sites to development local community engagement and management
programmes.
9. Identify and develop opportunities for
the provision of Green Infrastructure associated with growth point
development in and around Burton upon Trent, Swadlincote and Coalville.
10. Develop practical means to extend woodland/country
park management in the Heart of the Forest, including collaboration
with other landowners, training and skills development.
August 2009
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