Is woodfuel a strategic issue for the Forestry Commission?

The chapter allows us to answer the question: Is wood fuel a strategic issue for the Forestry Commission? The key points are that: Wood fuel is a strategic issue for the Forestry Commission; Wood fuel is a forest product which can be obtained from both short and long rotation woodlands. Although demand at an industrial scale is relatively low at present there appear to be good prospects for an increase in the near future; The silvicultural systems and forest operations which are employed in the production of wood fuel must be compatible with the UK Forestry Standard and must take account of economic, environmental and social sustainability; The Forestry Commission, as the lead department in GB forestry matters, uses a range of mechanisms in the promotion of sustainable forest management. Many of these are directly applicable to the production of wood fuel; The Forestry Commission's approach to funding research on silvicultural systems and forest operations is based on the identification and removal of barriers which appear to be standing in the way of sustainable forest management. The wood fuel industry could be far more significant to forest management than it is today and this has implications for our research programme. (Author)