Before Parliament closed for the summer recess, Peter Luff MP hosted a reception on behalf of the Woodland Trust to raise awareness of the importance of woodland creation in the UK. A film of the day is now available to view.
During the reception the Trust launched its woodland creation manifesto. It is little known that the UK is one of the least wooded countries in Europe with woodland cover only 11 per cent (only half of which is native broadleaf woodland) compared to the European average of 44 per cent. Yet the importance of trees and woods has never been more apparent – regulating climate, improving flow and quality of water, reducing air pollution, conserving soil, storing carbon and helping society adapt to climate change. Woodland also encourages exercise, improves health and reduces mental stresses.
At the event the Forestry Minister Huw Irranca-Davies MP announced that the Government’s Low Carbon Transition Plan supports a drive to create 10,000 hectares of woodland per annum for 15 years, which would lock up 50 millions tonnes of carbon dioxide by 2050. Meanwhile the Trust continues to push ahead with its own plans to increase woodland cover, including an ambitious project to create the largest new continuous native forest in England, the 850-acre Heartwood Forest near St Albans, Hertfordshire.
The time has come to stop seeing tree planting as a ‘nice to’. Woodland creation is a key tool in creating a more prosperous and attractive country which is better equipped to meet the challenges of the future. It now needs political will, money – both public and private – land, and public enthusiasm. By working together in partnership we can make it happen and implant woodland creation into the political landscape.
Find out more about Woods for People and the Woodland Trust's other campaign and advocacy work.