Publicly owned forestry in Wales covers 14 per cent of the country and people are becoming more aware of how important forestry is in the battle against climate change. Forestry Commission Wales wants to play its part and works with the Welsh Assembly Government, following a strategy called Woodlands for Wales. It also works with lots of public agencies, business and with the people who live near and enjoy the woodlands. But, it is sometimes hard for the organisation to fulfil all their wishes.

Its objectives include renting out some of the land it manages for wind farms. The money it gets will help keep Forestry Commission Wales operating. Other money to run Forestry Commission Wales comes from the European Union and from timber harvesting sales.

The Wales Audit Office study team want to hear people’s views on whether Forestry Commission Wales is delivering its own, and the Assembly Government’s, objectives for forestry; whether it has the right mechanisms in place to deliver its objectives and whether it is in a good position to improve its performance through learning and innovation. For more information on Forestry Commission Wales, and to read its mission and corporate plan, you can visit the website www.forestry.gov.uk (and select Wales as an option).

If you would like to contribute to the Wales Audit Office review, you can fill in a questionnaire. Alternatively, you can write to:

Forestry Commission Review
Wales Audit Office
2-4 Park Grove
Cardiff
CF10 3PA

Once the review is finished, the Auditor General for Wales will put a report before the National Assembly for Wales, which is likely to be considered by the Assembly’s Audit Committee.

Notes to Editors:

• The Wales Audit Office was created in April 2005 through the Public Audit (Wales) Act, 2004, which expanded the functions of the Auditor General for Wales and enabled the transfer of staffs from the Audit Commission in Wales and National Audit Office in Wales to his employment.
• The Wales Audit Office is independent of government and is responsible for the annual audit of some £19 billion of annual public expenditure.
• Its mission is to promote improvement, so that people in Wales benefit from accountable, well-managed public services that offer the best possible value for money. It is also committed to identify and spreading good practice across the Welsh public sector.