Catalogue description Records of Forest Enterprise

Forest Enterprise was formally established as a part of the Forestry Commission in April 1992 when the Commission was reorganised, and its regulatory and commercial roles were separated. Forest Enterprise is responsible for developing forestry to increase the production of timber, protecting and enhancing the environment, providing recreational facilities, stimulating and supporting the local economy in areas of depopulation, the integration of forestry and agriculture, and has to manage the Commission's estates as effectively and profitably as possible. In these activities, it is supervised by the Forestry Authority in the same way as any private woodland owner.

Five divisions of Forest Enterprise operate at the Headquarters in Edinburgh. The Business Enterprise Division deals with marketing, central contracts, harvesting, credit management and contracts codes, safety practice and the management of industrial personnel. The Forest Management Division deals with corporate planning, seeds and plant supplies, silviculture operations, forests as amenities and recreational areas, and production forecasting.

Enterprise Finance Division handles the accounts and business planning of Forest Enterprise, while the Estate Management Division handles acquisitions and disposals of land, and formulates estate policy and plans. An Engineering Division provides all engineering and machine purchasing services for Forest Enterprise.

The regional organisation of Forest Enterprise is into five regional directorates, a Welsh regional office at Aberystwyth, two Scottish regional offices based in Inverness and Dumfries, and two for England at York and Bristol. There are also 48 forest districts.