Doesn’t large scale forestry cause GHG emissions?

The Woodland Trust often uses volunteers to help plant trees, which is a low impact form of woodland creation.

We also use contractors, some of whom might use mechanical forestry equipment.

Emissions from that equipment, together with carbon lost through soil disturbance, are an unfortunate consequence of planting trees on a significant scale.

However, it should be remembered that these emissions happen only once, at the start of a permanent project that will in time draw back all of the emissions generated.

Most of the land on which we plant trees is former arable land. The emissions arising from the act of woodland creation are comparable at most to a single year's agricultural activity.