A £2 MILLION project to revitalise woodlands in the South West has taken a major step forward with the appointment of a new development officer.
Gunnislake-based Jez Ralph will guide a series of bids by the South West Woodlands Renaissance Partnership to encourage investment in local woodlands, timber processing and associated business.
It is hoped this type of investment will create jobs, develop markets and preserve and improve the environment.
The Woodland Renaissance work is being co-ordinated by the Stoke Climsland-based Silvanus Trust, with grant aid from the Regional Development Agency and the Forestry Commission.
Jez Ralph said he was looking forward to his new, ?highly challenging?, role.
?The possibilities are great,? he said. ?I hope to bring together the diverse aspects of the timber and woodland industries for the good of the area, the forest industry and the rural economy.
?We have six months to produce a plan to persuade the RDA to spend £2 million developing the woodland and timber sector in terms of business growth and employment.?
Jez has been with the Silvanus Trust since 2001. A Bristol University graduate, he studied forestry in higher education at Aberdeen and with the National Trust and was a field assistant with the British Antarctic Survey.
The South West Woodland Renaissance Partnership includes more than 40 private, public and voluntary sector individuals and organisations, which aims to improve the vitality of the region?s woods and forests through enhancing the products and services they provide.