UKWAS UK Woodland Assurance Standard
UK WAS
 
 

21st September 2005

NEWS RELEASE 2005/1



Roger Cooper to chair UKWAS Interpretation Panel

Roger Cooper has been appointed chairman of the UKWAS Interpretation Panel as part of the preparations for the launch of a revised UKWAS standard.

Mr Cooper is well known in forestry circles having had a long academic career at the University of Wales Bangor and serving as Head of the School of Agricultural & Forest Sciences from 1997 to 2004.

UKWAS Executive Chairman, Peter Wilson, said: “The Interpretation Panel is there to provide guidance on the practical implementation of the standard in the forest and we are delighted that Roger is taking on this important role. We expect a revised UKWAS standard to be ready early in 2006 so it is important that the Interpretation Panel is ready to deal with any issues that arise as it is put into practice in real life conditions”.

Commenting on his appointment, Roger Cooper said “UKWAS is an international exemplar of how all parties can work together to produce a certification standard that works in forest conditions; I look forward to contributing to this success story through my new role”.

Ends

News to editors:

  • The United Kingdom Woodland Assurance Standard (UKWAS) is the certification standard used to assess sustainable forest management in the UK; it provides the basis for certification schemes operated by both the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC).
  • Roger Cooper was Head of School at the School of Agricultural and Forest Sciences, University of Wales, Bangor until his retirement in 2004. His teaching and research interests included forest products marketing and economics; international trade in forest products; forest policy; forest industries. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Wood Science and has been active in the sector including as a member of the “Naturally Wood” sector sustainability strategy steering group, interim Chair of the Wales Forest Business Partnership, a Board member of the Forest Industries Development Council (1999-2004) and a member of the SGS Qualifor Certification Council (1996-2003).