The Guardian view on new forests: a vision born in the Midlands is worth imitating | Editorial
The benefits for bats were presumably not at the top of the government’s list of reasons for announcing the creation of the new western forest. The chancellor, Rachel Reeves, regards rules that protect these nocturnal mammals as a nuisance. Nevertheless, the rare Bechstein’s bat, as well as the pine marten and various fungi, are expected to be among species that benefit from the multiyear project, to which central government has so far committed £7.5m.Like England’s only existing national forest, in the Midlands, this one will be broken up across a wide area, featuring grassland, farmland, towns and villages as well as densely planted, closed-canopy woodland. John Everitt, who heads the National Forest organisation (which is both a charity and a government arm’s length body), describes this type of landscape as “forest in the medieval sense with a mosaic of habitats”.Stretching from Gloucester in the north to Salisbury in the south and Weston-super-Mare in the west, the new project will span three counties and the city of Bristol. The aim is to combine the environmental benefits of tree planting with social and economic gains, such as new opportunities for tourism and leisure. Unlike in the Midlands, where the forest was established in a post-industrial landscape scarred by mining and clay pits, the western forest includes prime agricultural land. This means that while the Midlands is the model, this is in some ways a very different scheme. The hope is that it will demonstrate how forestry and agriculture can be combined – and counteract the view held in some rural communities that tree planting is anti-farming.The UK is underforested relative to the rest of Europe, and also among the most nature-depleted nations in the world. While tree cover in Scotland has substantially increased, in England it is estimated to be just 12.8% by Friends of the Earth, compared with an EU average of 38%. Increasing this figure is a pillar of climate change and biodiversity policies. The government’s target is 16.5% by 2050, to support the transition to net zero and boost wildlife. In the Midlands forest area, tree cover has increased from about 6% to about 26% over 30 years – with bats among the beneficiaries.When that forest was established, it was a regeneration project as much as an environmental one. Initially championed by two Tories well known for their commitment to nature – John Gummer (who went on to chair the UK’s Climate Change Committee) and Michael Heseltine (who owns an arboretum) – the scheme has since attracted cross-party support. The western forest is the first of three that were promised in Labour’s manifesto. In the Midlands there are plans to plant another 8m trees.The gains attributed to the forest there include higher property prices – a mixed blessing in any area, given their impact on lower-income renters and first-time buyers. As yet, reliable estimates of the scheme’s overall impact on carbon emissions (with tree planting offsetting emissions from development) do not exist. But the forest is working towards a net zero target. There is a vibrant outdoor learning programme in local schools. New jobs have been created in tourism, leisure and green industry. Given that local economies and landscapes change anyway, it is far better for public authorities with an interest in nature, as well as profit-seeking businesses, to be involved in overseeing this. The promise of a new forest in the west of England is a hopeful one.
If a tree-planting scheme in western England can match the first national forest, people as well as wildlife will benefitThe benefits for bats were presumably not at the top of the government’s list of reasons for announcing the creation of the new western forest. The chancellor, Rachel Reeves, regards rules that protect these nocturnal mammals as a nuisance. Nevertheless, the rare Bechstein’s bat, as well as the pine marten and various fungi, are expected to be among species that benefit from the multiyear project, to which central government has so far committed £7.5m. Continue reading...
The benefits for bats were presumably not at the top of the government’s list of reasons for announcing the creation of the new western forest. The chancellor, Rachel Reeves, regards rules that protect these nocturnal mammals as a nuisance. Nevertheless, the rare Bechstein’s bat, as well as the pine marten and various fungi, are expected to be among species that benefit from the multiyear project, to which central government has so far committed £7.5m.
Like England’s only existing national forest, in the Midlands, this one will be broken up across a wide area, featuring grassland, farmland, towns and villages as well as densely planted, closed-canopy woodland. John Everitt, who heads the National Forest organisation (which is both a charity and a government arm’s length body), describes this type of landscape as “forest in the medieval sense with a mosaic of habitats”.
Stretching from Gloucester in the north to Salisbury in the south and Weston-super-Mare in the west, the new project will span three counties and the city of Bristol. The aim is to combine the environmental benefits of tree planting with social and economic gains, such as new opportunities for tourism and leisure. Unlike in the Midlands, where the forest was established in a post-industrial landscape scarred by mining and clay pits, the western forest includes prime agricultural land. This means that while the Midlands is the model, this is in some ways a very different scheme. The hope is that it will demonstrate how forestry and agriculture can be combined – and counteract the view held in some rural communities that tree planting is anti-farming.
The UK is underforested relative to the rest of Europe, and also among the most nature-depleted nations in the world. While tree cover in Scotland has substantially increased, in England it is estimated to be just 12.8% by Friends of the Earth, compared with an EU average of 38%. Increasing this figure is a pillar of climate change and biodiversity policies. The government’s target is 16.5% by 2050, to support the transition to net zero and boost wildlife. In the Midlands forest area, tree cover has increased from about 6% to about 26% over 30 years – with bats among the beneficiaries.
When that forest was established, it was a regeneration project as much as an environmental one. Initially championed by two Tories well known for their commitment to nature – John Gummer (who went on to chair the UK’s Climate Change Committee) and Michael Heseltine (who owns an arboretum) – the scheme has since attracted cross-party support. The western forest is the first of three that were promised in Labour’s manifesto. In the Midlands there are plans to plant another 8m trees.
The gains attributed to the forest there include higher property prices – a mixed blessing in any area, given their impact on lower-income renters and first-time buyers. As yet, reliable estimates of the scheme’s overall impact on carbon emissions (with tree planting offsetting emissions from development) do not exist. But the forest is working towards a net zero target. There is a vibrant outdoor learning programme in local schools. New jobs have been created in tourism, leisure and green industry. Given that local economies and landscapes change anyway, it is far better for public authorities with an interest in nature, as well as profit-seeking businesses, to be involved in overseeing this. The promise of a new forest in the west of England is a hopeful one.