Trees, woods and forests

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs new strategy for England's trees, woods and forests was published on Wednesday.

The Strategy seeks to set out the government's vision for England's tree and woodland resource, in both rural and urban areas, over the next 50 years. .

The Woodland Trust and Confor are leading the consultation...

Stakeholder Response: Woodland Trust

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Lee Bruce of the Woodland Trust said: "From an environmental viewpoint there are many positive developments in the new Strategy for England’s Trees, Woods and Forests.

"The strategy is rightly underpinned by the challenges of climate change, quality of life and sustainable management. 

"We welcome the theme running through the strategy of adapting to climate change and the subsidiary theme of mitigating its worst impacts through product substitution and carbon sequestration.

"This document provides a strong backdrop and justification to the calls by many NGOs including the Woodland Trust for an adaptation strategy to be a requirement of the draft Climate Change Bill.

"Our woodlands offer space for relaxation, are a formative part of our heritage, and visually enhance both the urban and rural landscape.

"They are not expendable commodities and it is important that planners add value to, and minimise the damage inflicted upon, our highly diverse environment. 

"This means protecting the best of what we have, and extending opportunities for all to enjoy the benefits of woods close to where they live. 

"Unfortunately protecting our irreplaceable ancient woodlands – one of the great glories of our heritage – is a theme which does not come across as strongly as it might do in the strategy.

"This gives an impression of shying away from the fallout of the Barker Report and the Planning White Paper. 

"Similarly, more emphasis could have been placed on the urgency of restoring ancient woods which were planted with conifers.

"The absence of emphasis seems somewhat out of place in a document seeking to put long term sustainable management centre stage.

"If the future is to be genuinely sustainable then communities must have access to and cherish the natural environment.

"We therefore welcome the emphasis on engaging people in learning about, maintaining, and enjoying their local woodlands.

"The 2050 vision set out in the strategy is an excellent statement of intent,  but we must recognise that England is one of the least wooded countries of Europe and disappointingly, the imperative for woodland creation targeted towards delivering the social, environmental and economic outcomes in the right places is not expressed firmly enough in the strategy.

"The benefits of woods are many but not all are able to access them at present.

"The forthcoming delivery plan and the level of resources available to implement the strategy will tell us much about whether the range of benefits provided by woods set out so well in the vision are genuinely recognised across government."

 

Stakeholder Response: ConFor

To send a comment to the ConFor click

"While there are some good parts to the strategy, ultimately it fails to tackle the central issue that woodland management needs to be economically sustainable and attractive to the owner or management will not take place

"Over half of England’s woodland is not managed – 650,000 hectares.

"A recent report by statutory conservation agencies concluded that one of the main reasons for the continued decline in woodland fauna and flora such as nightingales and woodland butterflies was under-management.

"Unmanaged woods, crucially in this climate change conscious world, are also a lost opportunity for carbon-lean wood products for construction and wood fuel for renewable energy.

"The strategy highlights that wood from England’s forests support businesses that contribute over £2 billion a year to the economy and employ 64,000 people.

"Only half of the annual increase in timber volume in England is harvested.

"Much more could be sustainably extracted supporting new jobs, new investment and helping to develop a low-carbon economy.

"It has been calculated that a 20% increase in production from the UK’s forests could secure an additional £500m of investment, provide hundreds of new jobs and reduce carbon emissions by an amount equivalent to taking 1.3 million cars off the road.

"England’s woods are not managed for a variety of reasons, but many owners who have ‘shut the gate’ or who are considering doing so complain of:

public policy that supports short term delivery of non-profit making activities.

"These have long-term implications for the viability of woodland management;
excessive and restrictive bureaucracy and regulation;
grants for delivering ‘public benefits’ that are more trouble than they are worth;
pressure to remove commercial tree species because they are seen to have lower environmental value. 

"A recent increase in timber prices and Stern’s call for a move towards a low-carbon economy provide an excellent opportunity for a fresh approach to woodland management, for example stimulating beneficial active management and woodland expansion through income from sales of wood and credible carbon offsetting schemes, and through a lighter regulatory touch.

"It is hoped that in implementing the strategy this opportunity will be grasped.”