An independent report has recommended that the UK forest industries sector should create a new single association to represent its interests.
Alastair Macdonald, formerly Director General (Industry Group) at the Department of Trade and Industry, who carried out the review on behalf of the key forest industries organisations, said that any new association “should be built round the best of today’s arrangements” and “be drawn on a blank sheet of paper”.
He recommends that the forestry sector create an association with one integrated management team to provide a pan-industry lead through its Council and to serve the interests of each specific industry sector.
The association should, he said, be built on the best of The Forest Industries Development Council, the Forestry and Timber Association, the Forestry Contracting Association, the UK Forest Products Association and the Wood Panel Industries Federation.
The members of each organisation have been asked to study the report carefully before forming a view on the way forward. The leaders of each organisation are due to meet in early October to agree how to jointly manage and facilitate the process whereby the sector can collectively consider the report and its recommendations.
