Forest Research - Organisational Structure

Organisational Structure

The Forestry Commission is governed by a Board of Commissioners made up of a chairperson and up to ten Forestry Commissioners. The Director General (also the director of the Forestry Commission England) and the directors of the Scottish and Welsh Forestry Commissions make up three of these Commissioners. The Director General is appointed by the Queen. An Executive Board works with the Commissioners to handle the strategic management of the Forestry Commission.

Since 2003 there have been separate Forestry Commissions for England, Scotland and Wales. This division assists the Commission with reporting to, and acting on the policies of, the devolved authorities. Cross-border issues can be dealt with by the Forestry Commission as a whole. These directors are part of their own National Committees, which oversee the implementation of policies as they relate to the devolved authorities.

Forestry Commission England reports to the Westminster Parliament. Forestry Commission Scotland reports to, and receives funding from, the Scottish Parliament. Forestry Commission Wales manages the forest estate owned by the Welsh Government. All three are responsible for commercial forestry operations and forest management in their respective nations; Forestry Commission Scotland is also explicitly responsible for the expansion of Scottish forests. The Welsh Commission works with the National Assembly to produce national forestry policies.

From 1 April 2013, Forestry Commission Wales will be merged into Natural Resources Wales, a single body delivering the environmental priorities of the Welsh Government. This has been controversial among forestry officials, with worries that the industry's voice will not be adequately heard in the new organisation.