East England Forest District (EEFD) is headed by Jim Lyon as Forest Management Director with over 100 directly employed staff. EEFD is responsible for managing circa 35,000ha of Public Forest Estate land from North Norfolk to Brighton; including Thetford Forest and the outlying beats of Sandlings, Kent, East Sussex, Chilterns and Thames Chase Community Forest. Much of the 35,000ha is designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and is highly popular as a recreational area. 

Thames Beat, based in Upminster (Essex), is the main outstation for the management of the District's community woodland estate. The Thames Beat covers an area of 520 hectares of community woodland around the Thames Gateway and Thames Chase Community Forest to the east of London, south Essex a