September was a month of departures. 

I know many of our readers, like much of the public, will have been upset by the passing of Her Majesty the Queen. 

Fewer will have shed a tear over the loss of George Eustice or Zac Goldsmith, both ousted from their important DEFRA roles by the incoming Prime Minister. But the early signals from the new regime are not good.

It is perhaps ironic that the ascension of Prince Charles – long one of the country’s most enthusiastic and revered defenders of the environment – to the position of monarch should coincide with an apparent bonfire of environmental regulations by the new Conservative government.

Is that ironic? Or merely tragic? I’ll let you decide.

In any case, the jury is still out on what the new mob may achieve – or even how long they’ll last.

Forestry Journal: King Charles King Charles

At the time of going to press, our new forestry minister had not even been announced, but there were whispers from those in the know to say our new masters are more amenable to productive forestry than the last ones. We can only hope.

Forestry is a business that’s all about planning for the future. It does make things difficult when the future looks so unpredictable.

In any case, as well as departures, September brought us one magnificent return. APF 2022 was a show to be reckoned with and everyone involved deserves hearty congratulations; not only for producing an excellent showcase for the best of the industry, but also for helping to take our minds off politics for a while.

Cheers for that!