APF 2026: A Stronger, More Connected Forestry Sector Emerges

The APF 2026 Show closed its gates with a clear sense of momentum across the forestry industry, marked by renewed collaboration, and a noticeable uplift in sector confidence.

The FISA team entered APF 2026 following a period of significant organisational improvement. At a time when the sector is navigating rising costs, workforce pressures, and increasing regulatory expectations FISA has increased its outputs to provide safety leadership.

Throughout the year, FISA has been constant and has increased its presence across industry groups, partners and stakeholders. This continuity ensured that valuable meetings and conversations were possible to strengthen relationships with partners including Forestry England, Lantra, Aspen, ICF, FTS, TTF, FCA, and others represented across the APF showground.

At APF 2026, the FISA team also launched a suite of reviewed and new guidance, alongside updated technical notes. This included refreshed material on mechanical harvesting, new guidance for drone operations, updated information on chainshot, and the ATV revision published earlier this year as well as an About Us leaflet and a poster informing how to access the Emergency Bulletin on Wildfire. These publications were well received across the showground, providing clearer, modernised safety expectations and practical tools for improving consistency in forestry operations.

Also launched at the show was our new film on public safety in the forest. This was launched at the APF by way of making QR code stickers available. The idea being that contractors/managers apply these stickers to their threshold and hazard warning signs out on site. We now begin a campaign to distribute these stickers further across the industry and to ask for the QR code to be embedded in signage artwork going forward. The video was proudly shown in the Confor marquee for the duration of the show as part of their video loop. Sincere thanks go to Geraint Price of our Plant and Equipment Working Group and Buffoon Media for the creation of such a fantastic film.

A notable development emerging from APF 2026 was the increase in new FISA members, many of whom joined after seeing the organisational changes implemented over the past year. In particular, FISA’s decision to step away from recommending specific training providers for forestry courses was widely recognised across the show as a positive and overdue shift. By removing itself from commercial endorsement and returning its focus to the core purpose of producing industry‑accepted guidance and technical notes, FISA strengthened its position as an impartial, authoritative safety body. Conversations across the APF showground reflected a more confident and engaged membership base — and a clearer, more coherent safety voice for the sector moving forward.

FISA would like to extend its thanks to those who supported and represented the organisation throughout APF 2026: Andy Bucklebury, Sarah Clay, Greg Buckley, Fiona Angier, and a special thanks to Geraint Price from NRW, who represented FISA as a volunteer and our Director Iwan Lloyd Williams. FISA would also like to thank CONFOR and the FCA for their support and allowing us to be guests within their stands.

FISA and the FCA continued to grow their co‑operation and we are looking forward to a closer relationship going forward, with particular thanks to Nick Adams. Thanks also to Mandy Maynard of Lantra for some valuable introductions.

APF 2026 demonstrated a sector that is modernising, professionalising, and becoming increasingly united. The FISA team’s contribution reflects that same forward‑looking spirit. The FISA Board has been instrumental in supporting the processes that have led to this growth in FISA membership and outputs and we look forward to the future in the same spirit.