About the Organisers
Forestry Commission
The Forestry Commission (FC) is the Government Department responsible for forestry throughout the UK, whose aims are to produce environmental, economic and social benefits from the forests it manages. This means balancing timber production with the wider benefits from recreational and environmental programmes. The Forestry Commission also assists private woodland owners by providing management advice and appropriate grant aid.
Since its creation in 1919, the FC has been the driving force behind a major expansion of woodland cover in the UK, from only 4% of total land area in 1900 to almost 12% today. Approximately a quarter of the woodlands in Britain are owned by the nation and looked after by the FC. This makes the FC by far the country's biggest timber producer and provider of recreational opportunities.
In the region, Forestry Commission manage some of the most diverse forests in the uk.
These range from woodlands in the Rothbury area of Northumberland, Kielder Water & Forest Park, chopwell Woodland Park and Hamsterley Forest in County Durham.
For more information of the regions forests and woodlands visit
www.forestry.gov.uk/northeastengland
Friends of Chopwell Wood
The Friends of Chopwell Wood are a voluntary community organisation that, for the last fifteen years, has helped the FC care for Chopwell Woodland Park. Funds are raised primarily from the annual sale of Christmas trees to provide additional financial support for conservation, recreation and education projects within the Wood, including the Forest Festival.
