The Independent Panel on Forestry, set up to advise the Government on the future of England's forests and woodlands, has just published its final report to Government.

The 42,000 responses to their 'Call for Views' covered the different aspects of forestry and showed how much people value trees, woodlands and the public forest estate.

The Panel, whose members cover the full range of interests in forestry, were unanimous in their recommendations.

we have lost sight of the value of trees and woodlands

The recommendations focus on maximising the social, environmental and business benefits of English woodland, so that the forestry industry will be on a more secure footing in the future. To achieve this they propose that the public forest estate should be defined in law as land held in trust for the nation so that it will always remain as a national asset.