Tree Planting and Woodlands

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 1 Oct 2020 Closed: 20 Jul 2022 Parliament page
The Government has promised a massive acceleration in the rate of tree planting to help offset greenhouse gas emissions. But questions have been raised about whether the targets are the right ones, whether the right types of trees will be planted in the right places, and whether enough is being … Read more
15 Recommendations
1 Conclusion
1 Report
5 Oral sessions
1 Letter
5 Events
Activity timeline 8 events
20 Jun
2022
Report published
21 Mar
2022
Report published
23 Nov
2021
Oral evidence
14 Sep
2021
Oral evidence
14 Jul
2021
Correspondence
13 Jul
2021
Oral evidence
15 Jun
2021
Oral evidence
9 Mar
2021
Oral evidence
Oral evidence sessions 5 sessions
23 Nov 2021
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Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Edward Barker · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs The Rt Hon Lord Goldsmith · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
14 Sep 2021
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Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Alan Law · Natural England George Dunn · Tenants Farmers Association Judicaelle Hammond · Country Land and Business Association Sir William Worsley · Forestry Commission Steph Rhodes · Forestry Commission’s England Tree Planting Programme Tom Bradshaw · National Farmers' Union (NFU) Tony Juniper · Natural England
13 Jul 2021
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Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Dr Darren Moorcroft · The Woodland Trust Emi Murphy · Friends of the Earth Jenna Hegarty · Royal Society for Protection of Birds (RSPB) Jill Butler · Forest of Selwood Community Interest Company Melanie Baines · The United Kingdom Environmental Law Association Robin Gray · National Association of AONBs
15 Jun 2021
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Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Brian Fraser · Horticultural Trades Association Caroline Ayres · Confor David Sutherland · Buckinghamshire Council Hamish Macleod · BSW Timber Group Jen Turner · Royal Forestry Society Shireen Chambers · Institute of Chartered Foresters
9 Mar 2021
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Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Amanda Thomson · UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology Jim Mackinnon CBE Professor Ian Bateman · University of Exeter
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Third Report - Tree planting HC 356 21 Mar 2022 16 Response document linked
Recommendations & Conclusions
16 results
1 Recommendation
Third Report - Tree planting
We welcome the UK Government’s ambition to plant 30,000 hectares of new woodland a year...
We welcome the UK Government’s ambition to plant 30,000 hectares of new woodland a year by 2025 in the UK. However, the Government has not set a clear target for England’s contribution, which will likely require England to treble its … Read more
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
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2 Recommendation
Third Report - Tree planting
The Government’s planting ambition will fail to achieve its net zero, nature recovery and biodiversity...
The Government’s planting ambition will fail to achieve its net zero, nature recovery and biodiversity goals unless it is able to deliver the principle of planting the ‘right tree in the right place’. This requires adequate mapping data available being … Read more
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
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3 Recommendation
Third Report - Tree planting
However additional mapping information will not, in itself, help local authorities manage the potential trade-offs...
However additional mapping information will not, in itself, help local authorities manage the potential trade-offs between tree planting, creating and conserving other habitats and the needs of farmers and food production when developing Local Nature Recovery Strategies. We therefore recommend … Read more
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
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4 Recommendation
Third Report - Tree planting
The financial incentives the Government is providing must make it economically viable to plant trees.
The financial incentives the Government is providing must make it economically viable to plant trees. The overall direction of travel is laudable, and the interim English Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO) provides better incentives than previous schemes. However, getting to net … Read more
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
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5 Recommendation
Third Report - Tree planting
Much of England’s existing woodland is under-managed and in poor condition.
Much of England’s existing woodland is under-managed and in poor condition. The Government’s objectives for net zero, nature recovery and biodiversity depend on existing woodland being much better managed. This will only happen if effective 40 Tree planting financial incentives … Read more
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
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6 Recommendation
Third Report - Tree planting
The Minister told us that the £500m allocated by the Government to woodland creation and...
The Minister told us that the £500m allocated by the Government to woodland creation and management from 2020 to 2025 wouldn’t be enough to realise the Government ambitions, and it is not clear whether the extra funding committed in the … Read more
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
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7 Recommendation
Third Report - Tree planting
Increasing domestic timber production and consumption can provide an additional revenue stream to support tree-planting,...
Increasing domestic timber production and consumption can provide an additional revenue stream to support tree-planting, whilst helping to store carbon and reduce the UK’s reliance on timber imports, which contributes to overseas deforestation. While we welcome the steps the Government … Read more
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
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8 Conclusion
Third Report - Tree planting
While strengthening the demand for domestic timber may help the UK to meet its international...
While strengthening the demand for domestic timber may help the UK to meet its international commitment to end and reverse deforestation caused by UK businesses by 2030, it is only a small part of the solution. While not a central … Read more
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
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9 Recommendation
Third Report - Tree planting
Tree nursery representatives and the Forestry Commission told us that nurseries in the UK will...
Tree nursery representatives and the Forestry Commission told us that nurseries in the UK will struggle to expand production to deliver the number of young trees required for the Government to achieve its planting ambitions by the end of this … Read more
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
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10 Recommendation
Third Report - Tree planting
We were given reassurances that the closure of one of two Forestry England nurseries will...
We were given reassurances that the closure of one of two Forestry England nurseries will not affect the overall ability of the nursery sector to produce enough trees. Given the challenges facing the sector, however, reducing the UK’s nursery capacity … Read more
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
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11 Recommendation
Third Report - Tree planting
To meet the Government’s tree planting goals, we are going to need to import seeds...
To meet the Government’s tree planting goals, we are going to need to import seeds and young trees until domestic capacity increases. This carries the risks of pests and diseases being introduced. We welcome the work Defra and the Forestry … Read more
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
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12 Recommendation
Third Report - Tree planting
The lack of a sufficiently large skilled workforce is a key barrier to England’s tree...
The lack of a sufficiently large skilled workforce is a key barrier to England’s tree planting ambitions. Addressing this requires a well-funded and planned workforce and skills strategy. Defra and the Forestry Commission are working to address the issue, but … Read more
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
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13 Recommendation
Third Report - Tree planting
We welcome the Government’s extension of the Seasonal Workers Pilot to the ornamental sector which...
We welcome the Government’s extension of the Seasonal Workers Pilot to the ornamental sector which should go some way to addressing the immediate labour shortage facing the sector. We recommend that Defra and the Home Office work with the nursery … Read more
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
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14 Recommendation
Third Report - Tree planting
The application and approvals process for tree planting is seen as too bureaucratic by land-owning...
The application and approvals process for tree planting is seen as too bureaucratic by land-owning and forestry organisations. While we understand the importance of not weakening the environmental controls, there appears to be a consensus that it is possible to … Read more
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
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15 Recommendation
Third Report - Tree planting
The current permanency rules discourage farmers and landowners from engaging with tree planting for fear...
The current permanency rules discourage farmers and landowners from engaging with tree planting for fear that they will never be able to change the land use back to growing crops or grazing if the new woodland does not prove viable. … Read more
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
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16 Recommendation
Third Report - Tree planting
We heard concerns that legal restrictions on many tenancies and their short-term length will prevent...
We heard concerns that legal restrictions on many tenancies and their short-term length will prevent many tenant farmers from engaging in tree-planting. Conversely, we also heard concerns that landowners might withdraw land from tenants to benefit from attractive tree-planting subsidies … Read more
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
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Correspondence 1 letter
14 Jul 2021 Correspondence from the Chair to Lord Goldsmith in relation to the possible closure of the Forestry Commission’s Wykeham nursery, 13 July 2021
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