Forest Research, on behalf of the Forestry Commission, Scottish Forestry, and Welsh Government, is launching the Forestry Workforce Census. It aims to better understand what the forestry operations workforce in Great Britain looks like today.
The first UK Forestry Workforce Census will capture the size of the workforce and the scale of forestry operations. Accurate and up-to-date information on the size and make-up of the forestry workforce will help the sector to plan for the future, identifying skills gaps and helping put in place measures to maximise forestry’s potential.
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That’s a remarkable amount of work hours for a single machine, the Norcar 600 owned by Erkki Rinne is taken well care of, it even has the original Diesel engine.
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Kieran Anders is a forestry contractor working in the lake district. His work involves hand cutting and extracting timber using a skidder and tractor-trailer forwarder.
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It is not possible to eliminate chain shot, but there are simple steps that can be taken to reduce the risk.
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Arwel takes great pride in the fact that the mill has no waste whatsoever, “the peelings are used for children’s playgrounds, gardens and for farm animals in barns in the winter and the sawdust has multiple uses in gardens and farms as well.
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Timber hauliers need to encourage young blood in, and also look after the hauliers we have, we need make the sector a safe and positive place to work.
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Who are we asking to submit information and when?
Organisations across the forestry sector are being asked to submit information about their workforce on two separate dates – on 1 October 2026 and 1 March 2027 – to account for roles that are seasonal.
Organisations will have a month after these dates to complete the questionnaire about who was working on that specific date. If an individual is working on both the 1 October 2026 and the 1 March 2027 they should be counted on both census days.
Participation is voluntary.
Every organisation, from those with just one person to larger companies with many people and sub-organisations, whether employed and/or contracted, are invited to take part.
Who should take part:
- Companies with just one individual, like sole traders and single-person organisations, right through to larger organisations
Who should not take part:
- Individuals employed by an organisation. The survey is aimed at employers rather than employees. Senior decision makers, like CEOs and HR directors should complete the survey on your behalf.
What will the Forestry Workforce Census cover?
The Census will capture information about people that work (employed, contracted or other) on the following activities for forestry operations:
- planning
- tree production/nursery operations
- ground preparation, planting, establishment or maintenance
- managing woodland and/or managing people working on woodland
- harvesting
- extracting timber and haulage
- surveying and inventory work.
Going forward, the Census will take place every five years. Results from the Census will be made publicly available.
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