England's Tree Strategy - have your say
“Chair of the Forestry Commission Sir William Worsley said:
”Trees are the lifeblood of our nation, and it is more important than ever to ensure they are rooted not only in our countryside, but in our towns and cities too.””
In the current Government's election manifesto, they pledged to increase tree planting to 30,000 hectares per year across the UK by 2025. This pledge is now being taken a step further with the England Tree Strategy consultation.
This is a unique opportunity to help shape policies for future generations and develop woodland creation in England.
As an organisation which supports community tree-planting and urban forests, we welcome the open consultation and would encourage everyone to have their say.
In the March Budget, the Government announced a new £640 million fund called the Nature for Climate Fund. The England Tree Strategy will help inform how some of this money is spent for tree planting. The strategy will cover plans for:
- the 25 year Environment Plan commitments
- nature recovery
- clean growth
- net zero goals for 2050
The consultation ends on September 11, 2020, and the England Tree Strategy will be published later this year.
Why is this consultation so important?
Everyone and anyone can contribute to this consultation and there may not be another chance to have your say before the next election.
The Government's pledge of planting 30,000 hectares of trees per year by 2025 is a UK-wide one, so there are no firm objectives specifically for England. Currently, England has only 10% of woodland cover, compared to an average of 38% in Europe.
Comparatively, there is 15% woodland cover in Wales, 19% in Scotland and 9% in Northern Ireland. The draft strategy doesn't suggest raising the target of woodland cover for England.
In our post-pandemic world, community forests are going to be even more vital, not just for local residents to enjoy outdoor space, but for ongoing community engagement programmes to use nature and woodland for increased health and wellbeing.
A 'green recovery' from the Covid-19 pandemic should combine increased tree-planting with green measures which have come out of lockdown, such as reducing travel miles and industrial emissions to combat global temperature increases.
It's never been more important to embrace the multiple benefits from existing and new woodland for our collective national well-being, as we face a number of uncertain years ahead of us.
The role of community forests
Community Forest Trust is the national champion for community forests in England and our vision is for a strong, resilient network of community forestry organisations that enhance the environment for both people and wildlife.
The majority of community forests are near to large urban areas and many regenerate former brownfield or industrial sites. We are passionate about the power of trees to transform urban environments.
People are at the heart of what we do. Community forests focus on engaging with local residents and enabling them to take ownership of woodland areas for future generations, through tree-planting, community activities and events.
Urban tree-planting in new developments, parks and green spaces help to make our towns and cities better places to live, work and play. Trees in urban areas also connect people with the natural world, mitigate the urban heat island effect and lessen the risk of flooding.
Our views on England's Tree Strategy consultation
Iain Taylor, Director of Community Forest Trust, said: "We welcome the consultation for the new England Tree Strategy and encourage everyone with an interest in trees and woodlands to have their say.
“We support the inclusion of Community Forests as part of the solution for securing the benefits of new trees and woodlands for people across towns and cities in England.
He adds; “We would like to see more community forests created and welcome proposals from places which share our values and believe in the value of long-term plans for creating and managing trees and woodlands.
“We would also like to see the announcement of detailed delivery arrangements for the Nature for Climate Fund and look forward to supporting Defra and the Forestry Commission on meeting planting targets as well as delivering public goods close to where people value them.”
You can give your views here:
https://consult.defra.gov.uk/forestry/england-tree-strategy/