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Newest figures present a marginal improve in UK tree planting over the previous yr, however ranges are nonetheless lower than half of the federal government’s goal of planting 30,000ha of latest bushes yearly by 2024.
That is regardless of a large push by the federal government to stimulate tree planting, together with the rollout of the England Woodland Creation Provide (EWCO) and Forestry England Woodland Partnership in 2021.
Forest Analysis has revealed the most recent nationwide statistics on woodland which present that within the yr to 31 March 2022 the overall space of latest planting within the UK was 13,840ha, up on the 13,290ha planted in 2020-21.
See additionally: Woodland funding: Demand, boundaries and what’s out there
There have been 2,260ha planted in England (16%), 10,480ha in Scotland (76%), 580ha in Wales (4%) and 540ha (4%) in Northern Eire.
Conifers accounted for 50% of the overall space of latest planting.
Scotland main method
Scottish Forestry stated the figures confirmed that Scotland was “punching above its weight” on creating new woodlands, significantly given it was a yr when the primary planting season had been affected by winter storms.
Scotland’s total woodland creation goal for 2021-22 was 13,500ha and Scottish Forestry had authorized sufficient new schemes to achieve this stage. However components of the sector needed to divert sources from planting to clean-up operations after Storm Arwen.
Nevertheless, Scotland did meet its goal of making greater than 4,000ha of native woodland, with 4,360ha being achieved.
It additionally stated there was “very wholesome demand” for woodland creation and it was already engaged on about 13,000ha price of latest tasks.
However Confor, the commerce physique representing UK forestry and timber companies, stated total the figures confirmed there was “zero likelihood” of fulfilling the UK pledge to achieve 30,000ha of latest planting by the top of 2024.
‘Woeful’
It described the planting ranges in England, Wales and Northern Eire as woeful.
“It is a whole coverage failure in each financial and environmental phrases,” stated Stuart Goodall, Confor chief govt.
“Report after report has proven that elevated tree planting and wooden use is important to assembly the UK’s net-zero targets – but this isn’t being translated into bushes within the floor.
“There’s presently zero likelihood of assembly planting targets until we see decisive and instant change.
“Which means encouraging extra productive forests to be planted, making the method to take action extra easy, and guaranteeing that we develop extra of the wooden that our future low-carbon economic system wants and keep away from spiralling imports in a world the place everybody desires extra wooden.”
Sturdy EWCO pipeline
The statistics present that in England simply 81ha of latest woodland has been planted as a direct results of the introduction of the EWCO, which was launched in June 2021.
However the Forestry Fee stated whereas the EWCO regarded to have funded a comparatively small space throughout the 2021-22 yr, the pipeline of functions was robust and there have been additionally some present tasks which have fallen outdoors of reporting deadlines.
“Curiosity in new planting stays robust, as evidenced by administration info on the amount of functions to the England Woodland Creation grant and Woodland Creation Planning grant.”
Final yr, England set its personal goal of planting 7,000ha of latest woodland annually by the top of the present parliament.
Wales has a goal of planting at the very least 5,000ha/yr, whereas Northern Eire is looking for to common 900ha/yr between 2020 and 2030.
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