Jim Shannon – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2016-03-01.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to protect the diversity of wildlife in Forestry Commission land.
Rory Stewart
We are committed to keeping the Public Forest Estate in England in trust for the nation and for it to continue to be sustainably managed. The entire Public Forest Estate is independently certified as sustainably managed to the UK Woodland Assurance Standard (UKWAS). A key element of this certification standard is the conservation and enhancement of biodiversity.
The Forestry Commission continues to maintain a high performance in the management of the 68,000 hectares of Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) under its stewardship, increasing the area in favourable condition year on year. Overall 99.5% of these SSSIs by area are in favourable or recovering condition. It also supports a comprehensive range of species conservation projects, including the freshwater pearl mussel, rare birds of prey, woodland and heathland insects and the recovery of species such as the chequered skipper, ladybird spider and pool frog.
