Memorandum submitted by The Woodland Trust (TNF 06)1. The Woodland Trust welcomes the opportunity to submit evidence to this inquiry. We are the UK's leading woodland conservation charity. We have three aims: to enable the creation of more native woods and places rich in trees; to protect native woods, trees and their wildlife for the future; to inspire everyone to enjoy and value woods and trees. We own over 1,000 sites and have 300,000 members and supporters. 2. We own 17 sites within the National Forest area. We contributed to the original vision for the National Forest back in the 1990s and have been involved with delivery of the project from the outset. 3. Our comments are focused on the two main areas of interest identified by the Committee but also encompass some broader points about woodland creation in general. 4. Summary 4.1 We believe that the National Forest has been a great success to date and that the original Tender Scheme proved the catalyst for engagement of a wide variety of landowners with woodland creation. The result has been an excellent showcasing of the value for money woodland offers with its ability to deliver across a wide range of policy agendas. 4.2 The project has demonstrated well that where appropriate incentives are put in place, landowners will take up tree planting rather than seeing this as a poor alternative to food production. Moving forward, we need to be striving for similar integration of forestry and farming as part of a new approach to land management. 4.3 We believe the project needs to remain firmly focused on getting the trees in the ground and continue to adopt ambitious targets. 4.4 Given the need to significantly increase woodland cover in the UK, we need to be looking at applying the lessons of the National Forest's success elsewhere in the country in a similarly inspirational fashion and addressing the question of funding for an ambitious expansion of native tree cover nationally.
5. The funding schemes, principally the Changing Landscape Scheme, designed to encourage tree planting and the creation of wildlife habitats 5.1 We believe that the original Tender Scheme was very successful in engaging a variety of landowners with the project. It demonstrates that with the right incentives in place, private landowners will engage with tree planting and not regard it as a poor substitute for food production in terms of remunerative land use. Indeed it has been the catalyst for the successful diversification of numerous farm businesses. This fits with our own view that we need to be thinking in terms of new models of land management where woodland creation is integrated with farming and wider area regeneration programmes. 5.2 The Tender Scheme's evident success in getting trees in the ground and people involved means that we were sorry to see it replaced. It is possibly too early to judge the success of the Changing Landscape Scheme. It does however adopt a more prescriptive approach which we feel needs to be balanced against the need to encourage innovation, engage a wide variety of landowners with the project and promote a diverse range of approaches. 5.3 Whilst it will undoubtedly be challenging to maintain the previous rate of progress we believe The National Forest should continue to pursue ambitious annual planting targets and avoid becoming too preoccupied with the management of existing woods for timber or woodfuel. Rather it should continue to stay focused on expansion and upon the delivery of the widest range of economic, social and environmental benefits to the nearby community and beyond. Funding woodland creation 5.4 It is important to think in terms of how more funding for woodland creation in general can be secured - both in the National Forest area and beyond. The Read report published in November 2009 has called for an extra four per cent of the UK's land to be planted over the next forty years at a rate of 23, 000 hectares a year to lock up greenhouse gas emissions.[1] The Woodland Trust itself wishes to see a doubling of native tree cover to deliver a wide variety of benefits to society and improve on our present very low national levels of woodland cover - 12% in the UK and only 8.6% in England compared with 44% for Europe as a whole. 5.5 Given the pressures on the public purse it is vital to look at a variety of measures to fund woodland creation. As well as a reorientation of the existing Woodland Grant Scheme (WGS) to place a greater emphasis on woodland creation, we need to look at how to increase take up of existing schemes such as HLS through minimizing bureaucracy and increasing understanding. It is also important to act on the evidence of the National Forest Tender Scheme that when adequate funding is put in place the benefits of woods across a range of policy agendas will be effectively delivered. 5.6 Given the importance of carbon as a policy driver we believe that carbon related financing can be a key source of funds for future woodland creation and it is important to unlock the potential which exists in this area. Removing the barriers to this should be seen as an integral part of the wider shift to a low carbon economy and society. This requires a change of policy to enable the creation of tradable carbon credits from domestic forestry. We believe that doing so has huge potential for raising new private finance for woodland creation. 5.7 Planning is another important area to look at for releasing funding in terms of Section 106 and other planning related measures, not least conservation banking. Although relevant across the country, the National Forest area, given its emphasis on economic regeneration, would seem a likely location for targeted action under future conservation banking models. There are willing landowners, a core of expertise and Indicative Planting Areas within an area which, unusually for the UK, is characterized by its willingness to contemplate woodland creation on a significant scale.
6. The economic, social and environmental benefits of the first decade of the National Forest Company's activity
6.1 We believe that the National Forest has been a spectacular success to date. It demonstrates very effectively the ability of woodland creation to deliver a wide range of economic, social and environmental benefits simultaneously and is a useful model to take to other parts of the country. 6.2 The planting of nearly eight million trees, an increase in woodland cover in the area of 12% and the improved quality of life for the local population across a range of indicators is a tribute to the dedication and effectiveness of the team in place since the early 90s. It provides a good example of what a sustained, properly resourced and energetic team can do to achieve regeneration by using habitat creation as the main vehicle. 6.3 The lessons that can be learned and applied elsewhere in the country are numerous but certain aspects stand out, notably: a clear plan; good resources; a passionate team and a supportive local community. 6.4 As the National Forest Company's 2007 report 'The National Forest - an exemplar of sustainable development'[2] shows it is making real the concept of sustainable development with economic and employment rates higher in the Forest's districts than the regional averages, the forest proving a positive factor in helping to combat climate change and strong evidence of public engagement with the forest through recreation and tourism. As was acknowledged by the Minister at the time, the NFC is to be congratulated for setting itself the ambitious challenge of being an exemplar of sustainable development. In doing so it showcases the value of woodland creation in general. 6.5 From a biodiversity point of view, the benefits of the woods are often at their strongest where the woods are linked up. For example, our own Martinshaw Wood at Ratby links well with the two surrounding woods - Pear Tree and Burroughs - to form the largest continuous area of woodland in the Forest at 157ha and the wildlife value has been increased as a consequence. We believe connectivity should continue to be at the heart of thinking when it comes to the wildlife side of the Forest and are pleased to see this highlighted as a priority for action in the 2009-14 Delivery Plan. 6.6 The contribution of the National Forest to the health agenda could be built on through its engagement with the exciting national NHS Forest project which is evolving at the moment. This is a visionary project to plant 1.3million trees for the benefit of patients and staff, focusing mainly but not exclusively on the NHS estate across as many sites as they can find. The NHS Forest aims to encapsulate the NHS's recognition of the links between a high quality environment and human health, of the direct links between patient recovery and the proximity of green space and the NHS's desire to reduce its carbonfoot print via a number of pathways including the planting of trees. A limited number of pilots are currently taking place throughout the UK. Building on the National Forest's success across the country 6.7 We need to move away from seeing woodland creation as a 'nice to' and instead recognise its role as a key, value for money tool in meeting a range of major contemporary policy challenges. These benefits range from carbon sequestration to reducing major flood events and the improvement of public health - both physical and mental - through shaping healthier and more attractive places where people will want to live, work and spend their leisure time. For example, research shows that 85% of the population do not have a wood within easy walking distance of where they live[3] indicating the work which needs to be done to increase woodland cover as a key plank of creating genuinely sustainable communities. 6.8 In addition to the evaluation work carried out by the National Forest Company, there is an abundance of evidence of the benefits of trees and woods generally, which should inform a more ambitious commitment by government to the expansion of native woodland cover. Government can provide political leadership through bringing together the public private and voluntary sectors but can also set the tone through the creation of new 'national woodlands' in each of the four countries of the UK. These sites, which could be paid for by the proceeds of sales of some of the Forestry Commission's sites which provide minimal public benefits, could act as flagships for a wider new push on woodland creation. Such projects should seek to rekindle the spirit which informed the creation of the existing National Forest alongside continued support to ensure that the latter goes from strength to strength. January 2010 [1] Forestry Commission (2008) 'Combating climate change - a role for the UK's forests' [2] National Forest Company (2007) 'The National Forest - an exemplar of Sustainable Development' [3] Woodland Trust (2002) 'Space for People' |