15 Minutes With...Baroness Young, chair of the Forestry Commission
For a wide-ranging conversation about the future of trees and woodland in England, we sit down with current chair of the Forestry CommissionBaroness (Barbara) Young, the newly appointed chair of the Forestry Commission, shares her vision for what success looks like on trees. From timber in construction and flood risk management to air quality and human health - and explains why getting the right tree in the right place matters more than ever.
In this episode, we explore whether woodland is becoming a sound business decision for farmers and landowners, the challenges of natural capital markets for smaller operators and explore why policy certainty is so critical when woodland decisions can span generations.
Baroness Young also gives her take on the land use framework, the role of devolution in place-based decision making and the thorny question of grey squirrels and deer - including a surprisingly practical suggestion for the NHS on venison.
Listen as she also shares the woods and trees that mean the most to her personally.