Editing Forestry Commission (section)

== Organisational structure ==
{{Update section|date=April 2019}}
The Forestry Commission is governed by a Board of Commissioners made up of a chairperson and up to ten Forestry Commissioners.<ref name=structure>{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/forestry-commission/about/our-governance|title=Forestry Commission Governance|website=gov.uk|publisher=Forestry Commission|access-date=23 October 2023}}</ref> The current chairman is Sir William Worsley. The Chief Executive, [[Richard Stanford (British Army officer)|Richard Stanford]], is also one of these commissioners. Forestry Commissioners are appointed by the [[Charles III|King]]. An Executive Board works with the Commissioners to handle the strategic management of the Forestry Commission.

The Forestry Commission is organised into Forest Services, [[Forestry England]] and [[Forest Research]].

=== Devolution ===
In 2003, forestry policy and the management of state forests was devolved to each of the three national Administrations in [[Great Britain]], and separate bodies have since been established for Wales ([[Natural Resources Wales]] in 2013) and Scotland ([[Scottish Forestry]] and [[Forestry and Land Scotland]] in 2019). The Forestry Commission continues to report to the [[Parliament of the United Kingdom|Westminster Parliament]] via [[Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs|Defra]] ministers. However the devolved organisations continue to collaborate on a number of cross-border arrangements: Scottish Forestry is responsible for management of the UK Forestry Standard and the [[Woodland Carbon Code]] and for provision of economic advice on forestry, Natural Resources Wales originally co-ordinated the commissioning of research into forestry but this role has now passed to Scottish Forestry, and the Forestry Commission continues to be responsible on behalf of the whole of the UK for coordinating international forestry policy support and certain plant health functions in respect of trees and forestry.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.scot/publications/forestry-devolution-resource-list/|title=Forestry devolution: resource list|date=2019-04-01|publisher=Scottish Government|access-date=2019-04-02}}</ref> Forest Research, a separate executive agency of the Forestry Commissioners, also continues to provide research and evidence capabilities across the UK.

=== Forest Research ===
{{anchor|Research division}}
Forest Research is the research [[government agency|agency]] of the Forestry Commission that undertakes [[Research|scientific research]] and surveys. Its core roles are to provide the evidence base for British [[forestry]] policies and to identify methods for sustainable forestry management.<ref name=AboutForestResearch>{{cite web|url=http://www.forestry.gov.uk/fr/infd-5txhaj|title=About Forest Research|publisher=Forestry Commission|access-date=20 July 2012}}</ref> It also carries out research with, or on behalf of, academic and commercial organisations.<ref name=ClientFR>{{cite web|url=http://www.forestry.gov.uk/website/forestresearch.nsf/ByUnique/INFD-5Z6ECK|title=Forest Research clients|publisher=Forestry Commission|access-date=20 July 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120917052633/http://www.forestry.gov.uk/website/forestresearch.nsf/ByUnique/INFD-5Z6ECK|archive-date=17 September 2012}}</ref>

There are three forest research stations run by Forest Research.<ref name=FRMap>{{cite web|url=http://www.forestry.gov.uk/fr/infd-5uwfyb|title=Addresses and directions|publisher=Forestry Commission (Forest Research)|access-date=26 May 2012}}</ref> A research station is located in each of the constituent countries of Great Britain: [[Alice Holt Research Station|Alice Holt]] in [[Hampshire]] in England; the Northern research station in Scotland and the smaller Aberystwyth Research Unit in Wales.<ref name=FRMap /> The Alice Holt research station was the Commission's first research station, established in 1946;<ref name=AliceHoltStation /> it is the main research station of Forest Research.<ref name=NA_alice_holt>{{cite web|url=http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/displaycataloguedetails.asp?CATID=5900&CATLN=3&accessmethod=5&j=1|title=Forestry Commission: Alice Holt Research Station: Registered Files|publisher=National Archives|access-date=27 May 2012}}</ref> The Northern research station in [[Midlothian]] was opened in 1970.<ref name=NorthernStation /> In 2009, a smaller research unit was established in [[Aberystwyth]].<ref name=AberystwythUnit>{{cite web|url=http://www.forestry.gov.uk/newsrele.nsf/AllByUNID/ED96354141315F5A8025789A002C626E|title=Honorary Professorship for Services to Forest Research|date=24 May 2011|publisher=Forestry Commission|access-date=26 May 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304044531/http://www.forestry.gov.uk/newsrele.nsf/AllByUNID/ED96354141315F5A8025789A002C626E|archive-date=4 March 2016}}</ref>

Forest Research Technical Services Unit is run from the Northern Research Station and maintains a network of five field stations to conduct research for the Forestry Commission and other organisations.<ref name=TSU_main>{{cite web|url=http://www.forestry.gov.uk/FR/INFD-5ZDF3Y|title=Technical Services Unit|publisher=Forest Research|access-date=1 June 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130526025038/http://www.forestry.gov.uk/fr/infd-5zdf3y|archive-date=26 May 2013}}</ref> The Technical Services Unit is also responsible for six satellite stations and the research station nurseries.<ref name=TSU_main />

In 2006, Forest Research made Alice Holt forest the first [[research forest]] in Britain.<ref name=ResearchForest>{{cite web|url=http://www.forestry.gov.uk/fr/researchforest|title=Research forests|publisher=Forest Research|access-date=1 June 2012}}</ref> It was followed by the Dyfi Catchment and Woodland Research Platform, [[Gwynedd]], in 2012.<ref name=ResearchForest /> Alice Holt was chosen as a research forest because it has been the base for research by the Forestry Commission since 1946 and over that time the Commission maintained detailed records of the forest and experiments carried out within it.<ref name=AHRF>{{cite web |url=http://www.forestry.gov.uk/pdf/Alice_Holt_Research_Forest_brochure.pdf/$FILE/Alice_Holt_Research_Forest_brochure.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120602095507/http://www.forestry.gov.uk/pdf/Alice_Holt_Research_Forest_brochure.pdf/$FILE/Alice_Holt_Research_Forest_brochure.pdf |archive-date=2012-06-02 |title=Alice Holt Research Forest |website=Forestry.gov |date=22 March 2012 |access-date=2 June 2012}}</ref>