About the Forest Policy Group

FPG membership includes many of the leading pioneers in really sustainable forestry in Scotland. Together, they represent many decades of unrivalled practical experience in a kind of enlightened forestry practice in which environmental and social benefits are placed on an equal footing with economic goals.  

Group members' experience includes a wide range of ground-breaking initiatives increasing the diversity of Scotland's forest resource, transforming the quality of commercial plantations, bringing neglected native woodland into active management, encouraging natural reforestation, opening up sensational opportunities for communities to take up a controlling interest in their local woodlands, and developing local specialist sawmills in response to a growing market for native hardwood products.   

The FPG believes that, in a highly homogeneous industry which is still largely dependent on public finance, it is these dimensions of truly sustainable forestry which justify public support and which therefore deserve much higher prominence.  The work of FPG is dedicated to the development of well founded, clearly presented policy proposals for government and its agencies with these aims in mind.

"Who we are" graphic

FPG Steering Group

Rick Worrell, Chair
 Independent forestry consultant with over 30 years in Forestry. Main areas of work: 1) management planning and silviculture; 2) tree breeding; 3) policy development.  Currently  Chair of Perth and Argyll Regional Forestry Forum, member of Timber Reference Group, and Honorary Fellow at School of Forestry Edinburgh University.  Woodland owner. 50 forestry publications.

Ruth Anderson, Secretary
Self-employed coordinator and events organiser.  Involved with the Native Woodlands Discussion Group since 2002 (secretary and events), secretary of Forestry Commission’s Forestry for People Advisory Panel 2000-2005, and of the Native Woodlands Policy Forum 1995-1998.  Trustee of Scottish Native Woods 1999-2005.  Registered seed-collector.

Maggie Birley
Project co-ordinator for Scottish Wood, a local hardwood (and premium softwood) sawmill based in West Fife, which is a social enterprise working alongside others to improve and expand the local sawmilling sector. Chair of the Association of Scottish Hardwood Sawmillers from 2003 to 2006. Previously worked in community reforestation work in El Salvador and in agroforestry research at the MacAulay Institute. She is involved in the Forest Education Initiative and the rolling out of Forest Schools in West Fife, and works with community groups to promote the use of local woodlands.

Gordon Gray Stephens
Director of Scottish Native Woods, the non profit distributing native woodland restoration organisation; has over 20 years experience of native woodland management. He is currently non executive director of Community Woodlands Association and Argyll Green Woodworkers Association, trustee of Kilmartin House Museum, member of Scottish Woodland Ecosystem Group; former member of National Forestry Forum, Forestry for People Advisory Panel and chair of Native Woodland Discussion Group.

Jon Hollingdale
Chief Executive Officer of the Community Woodlands Association, established in 2003 as the direct representative body of Scotland’s community woodland groups. Formerly a harvesting contractor in SE England, he has been in Scotland working for community woodland groups in the Western Isles, Caithness & Sutherland since 1999. He is a member of the Highland & Islands Forestry Forum and the National Forest Land Scheme Evaluation Panel.

Willie McGhee
A forester who has been the executive Director of Borders Forest Trust (BFT) since 1996. BFT is one of Scotland’s foremost NGO’s which has pioneered community based ecological restoration, Forest Schools and native hardwood utilisation. As a Director with BioClimate Research and Development Ltd. (BR&D), he is involved in land use and climate change projects in Africa and Central America with an emphasis on ecological restoration and improving livelihoods He is a Director of the Tweed Forum, a Trustee of the Scottish Forestry Trust, a member of the Scottish Borders Leader Action Group, a member of the Scottish Borders Woodland Strategy Decision Making Group and a Trustee on Scottish Power’s Green Energy Trust.

Simon Pepper, Acting Chair
Founding director of WWF Scotland 1985-2005, awarded OBE for services to sustainable development in 2000. He served as an external appointee to the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Sustainable Scotland (chaired by First Minister) 2004-7, and was a non-exec member of the National Committee of FC Scotland (2004-10). Now chairman of the Scottish Government’s Climate Challenge Fund Panel, and a board member of Scottish Natural Heritage. He runs a small farm/woodland property in Perthshire.

Bernard Planterose
Founding Director of Reforesting Scotland and Editor of its journal for first 5 years.He also founded the Duartbeg Tree Nursery, growing native trees from seed and establishing woodlands throughout north west Highlands for 10 years, and spent twelve years restoring native woodland to Isle Martin for RSPB. For the past 12 years he has been Director of a small timber construction company involved in leading edge ecological design and consultancy including significant use of home-grown timber and EU funded research projects into timber technology transfer. He owns and manages 30 ha of softwood plantation on Loch Broom as part of construction business.

Steve Robertson
Manager, fundraiser and forester for North Highland Forest Trust, sourcing, planning and action-ing appropriate woodland restoration, management and expansion projects for crofters, community groups and other land managers in the far North.  He has wide experience of alternative forestry from horse logging work in Canada and Norway to currently working with his partner to restore and develop a 40ha woodland croft. Steve is a former member of Forestry for People Advisory Panel and Scottish Forestry Forum steering group and former director Reforesting Scotland.

Piers Voysey
Self-employed forester currently working on community woodland and public access projects, but with a broad career in the public, private and charitable forestry sector in Scotland, community forestry projects in Papua New Guinea and Guatemala and latterly with community woodland management in Strathspey. Chair of the Community Woodlands Association and director of Reforesting Scotland.