THE CHANGING PATTERN OF ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATION: BRITISH FORESTRY AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL AGENDA

The key forestry issue over the past 80 yr in the UK has been the expansion of woodland area to make up for the devastation wreaked in the past. Private landowners have been encouraged to plant trees via incentives for forest development. A discussion is presented that focuses on how regulation of the forestry sector has been transformed recently to account for modern environmental concerns. The concerns addressed include sustainable development, biodiversity, and climate change. Perhaps the greatest advancement has been the opening up of the decision-making process to incorporate public participation in afforestation decisions. It is argued that, while concerted efforts have been made to restructure regulatory institutions to provide greater integration, ensure a clearer environmental focus, and allow greater openness, the sector remains a long way from achieving a properly integrated policy that can actually deliver sustainable development.