Written evidence submitted by the Sylva Foundation (Forest 05)

I am writing to submit written evidence for the inquiry on forest research.

1.I am deeply concerned about the potential effect of the Spending Review on forest research. Today, perhaps more than at any other time in recent history, our trees, woods and forests are expected to deliver an ever-widening array of benefits to society and the environment. These demands coincide with serious and significant threats to our tree resource from climate change, plus a growing impact from pests and diseases. The decision-making necessary to support and deliver a robust and sustainable tree resource in this country must be founded upon sound science.

2.I would like to draw to the attention of the committee a novel and robust methodology recently developed to prioritise forest research.

   The Top Ten Questions for Forestry (T10Q) project, led by the University of Oxford and the Sylva Foundation in 2008, set out to investigate a process for compiling and prioritising a meaningful set of research questions, which were considered by participating stakeholders to have high policy relevance, using a collaborative bottom-up approach involving professionals from a wide set of disciplines of relevance to modern forestry. The process involved an online survey and a workshop for participants in the UK and Republic of Ireland. Survey responses were received from 481 researchers, policy makers and woodland owners, who contributed 1,594 research questions. These were subsequently debated and prioritised by 51 people attending a workshop to produce a “top 10”. The methodology and results were published in a peer-reviewed journal:

   Petrokofsky, G, Brown, N D & Hemery, G E, et al. (2010) A participatory process for identifying and prioritizing policy-relevant research questions in natural resource management: a case study from the UK forestry sector. Forestry 83, 357–367. http://forestry.oxfordjournals.org/content/83/4/357.full

3.Declaration of interests: I am not employed by a Governmental organisation. I advise the Forestry Commission as a member of the Regional Advisory Committee for south-east England.

Dr G E HemeryChief ExecutiveSylva Foundation

8 June 2011