The chairman and chief executive of environmental support services company Fountains plc has called for a shake-up in the forestry industry, to include a regulator independent of the Forestry Commision.

Barry Gamble says the Forestry Commission‘s position as industry regulator, government forestry adviser and dominant commercial operator is now outdated. He proposes a new structure to bring “transparency and visibility” to the regulatory and operational framework.

Mr Gamble, who has already expressed his views in the Country Landowners Association and the Forestry and Timber Association magazines, says the commission has sought to impute a value to non-timber benefits because of the poor state of timber markets. He believes this works against the interests of private growers who need to sell timber.

&#8220Private forestry should not be seen as an arm of government or a captive supplier to timber users. Its needs should be properly addressed through the right structure and regulation for the whole industry.”

Barry Gamble, fountains plc chief executive.

He said: “Private forestry should not be seen as an arm of government or a captive supplier to timber users. Its needs should be properly addressed through the right structure and regulation for the whole industry.”

He suggests putting high amenity and wildlife forestlands into new national forests, with the remaining Forest Enterprise land placed into regional commercial corporations to operate to the same market and regulatory constraints as the private sector.