Forestry commissioner appointed
16 September 2012Amanda Bryan, a rural development consultant in the Highlands and Islands, has been appointed as a forestry commissioner for Scotland.
Ms Bryan, who has a background in sustainable marine, rural and community development, specialises in community consultation on projects championing woodland and biodiversity management, forestry, tourism and recreation.
She has been a non-executive member of the board of Scottish Natural Heritage for six years, and has served as deputy chair of the organisation's North Areas. She has also chaired the BBC Scottish Rural Affairs and Agriculture Advisory Committee, and is a member of the Highlands and Islands Forestry Forum and BBC's Audience Council for Scotland.
She has been appointed for an initial term of three years, and will also serve on the Forestry Commission's National Committee for Scotland.
In welcoming the appointment, Pam Warhurst, chair of the board of forestry commissioners, said she was confident that Ms Bryan's enthusiastic advocacy of the benefits of forests, and her considerable experience of community engagement in particular, "will prove invaluable to us in guiding the work of the Forestry Commission during a period of unprecedented public interest in Britain's forests".
