Expert Committee on Forest Science

This committee reports via the Forest Research Board to the Forestry Commissioners, copied to the Research Strategy Reference Group (which provides programme-level assurance to the Forestry Governance Group on the research commissioning).

Role

The Expert Committee on Forest Science is established by the Board of Forestry Commissioners to provide independent, expert advice and assurance on the quality of science and evidence provided by Forest Research (the Forestry Commission’s research agency) and other providers.

Membership

The committee is made up of a Chair, 7 other members and a secretary. Five of the members and the chair represent the scientific and stakeholder community, one is a Forestry Commissioner with research expertise, and one the Forestry Commission’s Chief Scientific Adviser from Forest Research. The secretary is provided by the Forestry Commission, and the external members will serve terms of up to 5 years.

External members are appointed in line with the procedures outlined in the Code of Practice for Scientific Advisory Committees (GoScience 2011). Appointees are members in their own right, should not serve as representatives of stakeholder organisations, and will typically serve terms of 5 years and no more than 2 terms.

Current members are:

  • Professor Andrew Watkinson (Chair) - Emeritus Professor, University of East Anglia
  • Professor Darren Evans - Professor of Ecology and Conservation, Newcastle University
  • Andrew Heald - Andrew Heald Consulting
  • Professor Christopher Quine - Chief Scientist, Forest Research
  • Dr Christine Cahalan - Honorary Senior Lecturer, Bangor University
  • Professor Dr Maria Nijnik - Environmental Economist and Principal Social Scientist, James Hutton Institute
  • Professor Thomas Meagher - Plant Evolutionary Biologist, University of St Andrews
  • Dr Julie Urquhart - Associate Professor in Environmental Social Science at the Countryside and Community Research Institute (CCRI) at the University of Gloucestershire
  • Dr Eleanor Tew - Natural Capital and Resilience Programme Manager for Forestry England

Minutes

If you would like a copy of any meeting minutes, contact commissioners@forestrycommission.gov.uk.

You can find minutes up until 2016 on the National Archives.

Contact details

commissioners@forestrycommission.gov.uk