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Woods and trees are crucial to sustaining life on our planet and their presence or absence plays a central role in determining people’s perceptions of their quality of life. As a General Election approaches, the Woodland Trust, the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity, has drawn up a list of broad policies that will help to safeguard and enhance our native woodland resource. We look to the political parties to embrace these policies which will also help to deliver a wide range of environmental, social and economic benefits across the United Kingdom. 1. Safeguarding Native Woodland A commitment to policies that recognise and promote the role of woods and trees in contributing to sustainable development and the quality of life in the United Kingdom. This should include a specific commitment to safeguard our dwindling and irreplaceable ancient woodland resource, the nation’s richest habitat for wildlife. (more...) |
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2. CAP Reform To promote and pursue reform of the CAP with the aim of directing more resources towards sustainable rural development and the protection and stewardship of the countryside. (more...) |
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3. Climate Change To put forward a package of measures aimed at directly tackling climate change which not only honour the Kyoto climate change targets but build upon them. We look for a particular focus upon enabling biodiversity to adapt, upon the promotion of renewable energy, and for the establishment of a Cabinet Committee on climate change. (more...) |
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4. Urban Green Space The provision of green space in urban areas should play a central role in strategies for urban regeneration. Woods and trees should form a focal point of such spaces and be funded accordingly. (more...) |
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5. Communities and the Environment A commitment to engender community participation in environmental projects and to promote the understanding and enjoyment of our natural heritage by all. (more...) |
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For further information, please contact the Public Affairs team at: Further information |
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1. Safeguarding Native Woodland It is important that political parties recognise the unique contribution which trees and woods make to the quality of life in this country. They generate oxygen, store carbon, provide access to green space, and play host to a spectacular variety of wildlife as well as visually enhancing the environment and inspiring us with their colours and landscapes. The enhancement and expansion of our native woodland resource, enabling it to flourish and enrich all our lives, should be central to party environment policies. This should be accompanied by a specific commitment to safeguard the UK’s ancient woodland. Ancient woods are one of the great, irreplaceable glories of our natural heritage - they are quite simply nature’s cathedrals and are home to more endangered species than any other habitat. A party that aspires to be truly green should seek to ensure their protection. (back to top) 2. CAP Reform Reform of the CAP must take into account not only the future of farming but also the future welfare of the rural landscape in its entirety. The long term viability of the farming industry is heavily dependent upon the adoption of environmentally responsible stewardship as a driving principle and we wish to see this promoted through re-allocation of subsidies to reflect the popularity and sustainability benefits of environmentally friendly farming schemes. It is also crucial that policies demonstrate vision in relation to future land use as pressures for expansion and development increase. Forestry, which the Rural White Paper has described as a ‘true multi-use activity’, in particular offers the opportunity to combine good environmental, social and economic values into a single land use activity, and we seek its promotion through the new Rural Development Regulation. Reform of the Farm Woodland Premium Scheme has an especially important role to play in increasing woodland cover in a sustainable way. (back to top) 3. Climate Change Climate change is an immense challenge facing the planet which also poses a serious threat to the survival of many species and habitats including our ancient woods. Tackling the causes of change and creating adaptive conservation strategies will require reform of the planning system, the CAP and agri-environment schemes so that semi-natural habitats like ancient woods can be placed on a more sustainable footing. It is also important that serious investment is made in renewable energy. The UK lies behind many of its European partners in this respect and we look for progress to move the UK above and beyond the Government’s proposal that 10% of the UK’s electricity requirements should be produced from renewable sources by 2010. We believe that woodfuel has an especially significant role to play in energy generation which Government cannot afford to overlook since it offers the significant advantage of a huge resource already available, as well as benefits to the local economy and the environment. Finally, a positive indication of the seriousness with which the threat of climate change is viewed would be the establishment of a Cabinet Committee to co-ordinate cross-Government action. (back to top) 4. Urban Green Space The presence or absence of woods and trees is central to people’s perceptions of the quality of their local environment. It is no coincidence that desirable suburbs are frequently termed ‘leafy’. We firmly believe that people living in towns and cities should not be disenfranchised from an experience of nature. One of the most successful Early Day Motions of the 1999-2000 parliamentary session (EDM 879) was on the importance of urban trees and woods, attracting some 175 signatures from across the House of Commons. We therefore wish to see all parties adopt policies which recognise that the regeneration of urban areas and the greening of their physical environment are interrelated. Such programmes should be funded accordingly, with a particular emphasis upon trees and woods, reflecting their huge popularity amongst the public and the wide range of benefits they deliver in towns and cities. (back to top) 5. Communities and the Environment The connection between the natural environment and human health is one which is increasingly recognised and woodland makes a particularly strong contribution in this respect. But if people are to value their local environment and feel a greater general sense of ownership of our natural heritage then policies are required which promote greater enjoyment and understanding. Enjoyment of the natural environment brings benefits for people at both the individual level, through a greater sense of personal well-being and also at a group level, by fostering a sense of local belonging and community through involvement in its stewardship. We wish to see policies which promote the provision of accessible public information on the environment and which promote and fund greater community participation in environmental initiatives. We also seek greater emphasis by those involved in public education on the contribution which the natural environment makes to the quality of our lives. (back to top) With key issues such as climate change and future land use in the countryside to be addressed it is vital that the environment achieves prominent status during the election campaign. Ask your local parliamentary candidates how their parties propose to address these five areas set out by the Woodland Trust which will not only enhance our woodland heritage but also the wider environment. |
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