Hitting tree planting targets: Governments are not enough
Trees have finally made it up to the current political agenda. The pressing need to reduce humankinds influence on the climate means the government is finally acting on planting trees. Earlier in the summer it was announced that between March 2019 and June 2020, 1,420 hectares (3,507 acres) of new woodland were planted in England, well short of the 5,000-hectare target set by Michael Gove in 2019. The government had aimed to add 10 million new trees to rural landscape and provide an additional £10m for urban areas to plant 130,000 by 2022, but with the first of these planting targets missed, this now looks unlikely. The key aim of these targets is to help bring the UK to a position where its carbon emissions are net zero, but the failure to meet these targets shows the difficulty faced in actually establishing new woodlands in the countryside.
An opportunity for the third sector?
From a landowner’s perspective, establishing new woodlands can be a confusing prospect. Current grant schemes differ in each county of the UK, and the imminent withdrawal from the European Union’s common agricultural policy is adding to the uncertainty. The post-Brexit promise of “public money for public goods” and a new agricultural system is so far providing little detail on the benefits landowners could receive in planting trees. Any new grant scheme is unlikely to be in place before 2024; however, action to sequester carbon and increase our nations forests is required today.
At 9Trees, we have the skills, knowledge, and connections to bring together like-minded individuals and get trees in the ground and growing. 9Trees work with local contractors in the establishment and maintenance of new woodland, providing local employment as well as carbon sequestration for all our subscribers. As our trees grow and develop, the new woodland will provide a multitude of uses for the local community and help increase our national tree cover. There is room to expand this approach from our perspective, as many landowners want to work with organisations such as 9Trees who are able to plan and manage a woodland. Not-for-profit organisations, like 9Trees, are working at local and regional levels and are in a great position to target areas for tree, and together are making a real impact.
We need good quality forests
Forests need to be viewed as more than a total number of trees growing. They provide us with clean water, reduce air pollution, provide unique habitats and places in which to relax and enjoy. Recent research has also begun to show that they are critical to helping maintain our sense of mental wellbeing. Native, broadleaf forests give us the greatest benefits having naturally evolved in the ecosystem; however, not all forest is equal and much of the UKs forest cover consists of non-native conifer plantations. These offer less biodiversity value but do provide rural areas employment and reduce the need to import timber. Therefore, a balance needs to be found between what new woodlands will provide for society and the environment. Simply planting large areas of new woodland will not be successful in the long term unless clear management objectives are specified.
Not-for-profit organisations such as 9Trees know that new woodland can provide a range of benefits, from wood products to local employment as well as all their environmental impact. The government should target these organisations to harness their experience working on the front line in establishing woodlands. They could hold the key to meeting planting targets.
Words by Will Maiden: Assistant Tree Office at the London Borough of Camden