The UK Forest Products Association (UKFPA) has announced the appointment of Hazel Newman of Egger Forestry Products Ltd as chair of its Joint Raw Materials and Wood Supply Committee.
Ms Newman succeeds John Paterson, also of Egger Forestry Products.
The committee, which is operated jointly by UKFPA and the Wood Panel Industries Federation (WPIF), addresses a wide range of technical and practical issues, including reviewing statistical data, woodland management and certification issues, British and European Standards development, plant health impacts, processor developments, and UK and European legislation and regulation.
In welcoming Ms Newman, UKFPA executive director David Sulman said she had a wealth of experience and was well known and respected in the industry.
“We also gratefully acknowledge the role played by John Paterson as the committee’s former chairman,” he said. “The domestic wood-processing industry, represented by UKFPA and WPIF, is addressing significant challenges to the sector arising from government subsidies for renewable energy, which could result in significant displacement of wood from sawmills and panelboard mills into the energy sector, which would squander the unique carbon attributes of wood and wood products from sustainably-managed sources.
“In addition, the industry is continuing to lobby for increased planting of productive conifer crops in Great Britain, so as to ensure continuity of wood supply and the continued delivery of valuable economic, social and environmental benefits for generations to come.”
