Why We Plant Trees

Why we plant trees

passionate about trees

www.treeappeal.comWhy we plant trees 2

Tree Appeal 3

The Tree Appeal Mission 3

Green Apple Award 4

“Green Heroes” 2006 5

Executive Summary 6

The Cause 7

The need for more trees 7

Why plant trees? 8

Tree planting partners 8

What Government says 9

The UK Biodiversity Action Plan 11

The importance of biodiversity 11

Implementation 12

EU biodiversity strategy 13

Publications 14

The Convention on Biological Diversity 15

Government Strategy 16

Challenges and opportunities 19

Environmental sustainability 20

Biodiversity 22

Landscape 23

Social sustainability 23

Public access to woodlands 24

Health 25

Recreation 25

Trees within the green infrastructure 25

Managing urban trees 27

The historic environment 27

The overall amount of woodland

planting and woodland management 28

What David Bellamy says 29

Professor David Bellamy OBE 30

The right trees in the right places 31

Climate change 33

Why become a Tree Appeal Partner? 35

What Tree Appeal does for you 35

Contents

www.treeappeal.com 3

The Tree Appeal Mission:

The philosophy of Tree Appeal is to plant and conserve trees within the UK and globally in recognition and appreciation of the environmental and humanitarian benefi ts that trees deliver to the wellbeing of our valuable planet.

Trees are the longest lived organism on the planet and therefore planting trees is an investment that creates a global ecological heritage for many hundreds of years. We must demonstrate that we are seriously addressing our own country’s environmental issues. Only then are we in a position to infl uence global environmental changes, like arresting the cutting down of rain forests.

Most environmental damage occurs as a consequence of business activity. We therefore believe the way forward is to give environmentally responsible companies the opportunity to integrate tree planting into their product and service offering and gain a marketing advantage for doing so.

Tree Appeal has, on principle, decided that the funding for tree planting must come from a company’s marketing budget thus leaving that company’s charitable budget intact, enabling continued support for their many other charitable causes.

What Tree Appeal does for you:• You are ‘Seen to be Green’

• It differentiates your business with a unique selling point

• You raise your profile, locally and nationally, for all the right reasons

• It helps reduce your ‘carbon footprint’

• You make an ongoing long-term contribution to the environment



Tree Appeal


The Green Apple Award

The top award of ʻGreen Champion ̓has been won by Tree Appeal. At a ceremony in the House of Commons the National Green Apple Award 2005 was presented to Tree Appeal in recognition of their environmental best practice. The award was accepted by Bill Oddie on behalf of the company at the event hosted by Rt Hon Patricia Hewitt MP, Secretary of State.

The Green Apple Awards are now in their eleventh year - recognising, rewarding and promoting environmental endeavours and initiatives. “We are very pleased to receive this important recognition”, said Bob Swinbank of Tree Appeal. “We believe Tree Appeal is a very exciting initiative because it gives companies the opportunity to make a real difference. These broad-leaved trees make a signifi cant long-term contribution to the environment and help to combat climate change at the same time.”


Recognition


“Green Heroes” 2006

Tree Appeal have been presented with an inscribed plaque, to mark their achievement as one of Britainʼs fi rst Green Heroes.

The award was received by Professor Bellamy at a ceremony at Kensington Roof Gardens. The award is made by The Green Organisation, an independent international environmental group dedicated to recognising, rewarding and promoting environmental best practice around the world.

The Green Heroes shield is a new annual award presented exclusively to those that have not only won a Green Apple Award but have also demonstrated their commitment by helping others to follow the environmental lead.

National Organiser Roger Wolens said, “Tree Appeal are one of our fi rst Green Heroes and they fully deserve this recognition”.


Recognition


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The problem

• A continuous and escalating assault on the environment• Huge loss to UK biodiversity

The need for more trees

• An ageing resource• 45% of our native woodland lost in the last 50 years• 19 million trees lost in the storms of 1987 and 1990• 30 million trees lost to Dutch Elm Disease• 100 species of animals and 20% of wild plants and fl owers under threat in the UK• Globally, forests contain 45% of the stock of carbon

Why plant trees?

• Natural beauty, food and habitat for wildlife• Each tree locks up 730kg of carbon dioxide over 100 year life span

Tree planting

• Managed tree planting locations• Native broad-leaved trees• “The right trees in the right places”• Partners that are ‘passionate about trees’

Government view

• Support from DEFRA• In line with UK and EU biodiversity plans

The benefi ts to business

• You are 'Seen to be Green'


• You raise your profi le, locally and

nationally, for all the right reasons

• It helps reduce your

‘carbon footprint’

• You make an ongoing long-term

contribution to the environment

“Planting trees proves

your company cares

about the future”

Professor David Bellamy OBE

Executive Summary

Why we plant trees 6


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Are your products or services costing the Earth?

The Cause

For many years we, as a race, shared a misguided view that our environment was solid and robust. In our pursuit of progress and fi nancial gain, we infl icted countless assaults upon it, never fearing that it would not recover from such an onslaught. Our disrespect for our environ-ment continued and escalated over the years without once considering the consequences of our actions.

Only in recent years did the stark realisation that our planet’s ecosystem is actually interconnected and inter-twined become self-evident with the decline or extinc-tion of many species of plants, animals, birds and insects.

All too often, we believe that many of the endangered species of wildlife and habitat are in distant countries and that we should be taking action to save the tiger, panda or whale. Yet we all fail to consider or appreciate our very own ecological heritage and recognise our own endangered species such as the water vole, common dormouse and pipistrelle bat.

Governments throughout the world have put the environment very fi rmly on their agenda. At the Earth Summits held in recent years, the United Kingdom Government, like many others, signed the Convention on Biological Diversity and agreed to meet the targets set. The recognition of the need to protect the biodiver-sity of the planet from very real dangers such as pollution, global warming, unchecked economic growth and exploitation of natural resources was highlighted.

The need for more trees

A considerable percentage of our native broad-leaved trees are in their latter years of maturity which makes them very vulnerable to storm damage and natural decay.

Over the last 50 years, 45% of our ancient, semi-natural woodland has been cleared or converted to commercial plantations. This loss was further compounded by additional losses of approximately 19 million trees that were destroyed in the storms of 1987 and 1990. It is also estimated that more than 30 million trees were killed by Dutch Elm Disease.


Green Finch

Sparrowhawk

The results of our encroachment and destruction of wildlife habitat by deforestation during the last century, in this country alone, has seen more than 100 species of animals become extinct with many more on the endangered list. Nearly a fi fth of Britain’s wild plants and fl owers are under threat and the chances of seeing many of them in the wild are growing slimmer by the year.

Forests throughout the world contain around 45% of the global stock of carbon. With the massive deforestations that continue throughout the world, our planet is struggling to cope with the increase of carbon dioxide polluting our atmosphere.

Why plant trees?

Trees vastly improve the natural beauty of our countryside and parks, they compliment our building developments and they adorn our gardens for our children to climb and shelter under. Could you possibly imagine our landscape barren of these magnifi cent organisms?

They provide habitats to a wide array of plants, fl owers, birds, mammals and insects. Without these vital habitats and the means to propagate and pollinate, many more of our valuable wildlife and plants would suffer as a direct consequence.

Trees are the longest lived organisms on our planet and they lock up approximately 730kg of carbon over a one hundred year period. By

planting trees you can make a very real contribution to the environment and take a positive step toward offsetting your company’s carbon footprint.

Tree planting partners

Working with the assistance of a number of environmental organisations we are able to secure tree planting locations for our saplings on their reserves and their land management projects.

These partnerships make our tree planting scheme very cost-effective, allowing us to plant a much greater number of trees. All trees planted are native broad-leaved trees such as oak, beech and ash.



Buzzard

Robin

Green Woodpecker


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What Government says

“Initiatives like ‘Tree Appeal’ help support the Government’s strategy

for sustainable development, with its aims of integrating our objectives

on social progress, effective protection of the environment, prudent use

of natural resources and high and stable levels of economic growth and

employment to ensure a better quality of life for everyone, now and for

generations to come”

Jim Knight MP, Minister for Rural Affairs, Landscape and Biodiversity, DEFRA

“The UK has participated actively in negotiations to shape the UN

Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Kyoto Protocol. Both

agreements require Parties to protect and enhance vegetation that absorbs and stores carbon

dioxide. Under the Kyoto Protocol, carbon sequestered in new forests planted since 1990

count towards meeting developed countries’ emissions targets. The UK is committed to

reducing green house gas (GHG) emissions by 12.5% of the 1990 total by 2012 which is

equivalent to 21 million tonnes of carbon per year (MtC/yr), and has policies in place that

are aimed at protecting and enhancing carbon sinks as a way of compensating for emissions

from fossil fuels.

The biomass in woodlands contain some 90 million tonnes of carbon, 30 million tonnes

of which are stored in conifers and some 60 million tonnes in broad leaves and mixed

woodland. If the present rate of increase in tree cover in the UK continues, carbon

sequestration through afforestation since 1990 could save 0.6 MtC in 2010. These figures

do not include the much larger carbon reservoir provided by forest soils. It is also recognised

that LULUCF activities have multiple benefits in terms of conserving soil, water and

biodiversity, and the UK is actively working with EU colleagues on

this issue.”

Dr Amy Sullivan,Response Strategies, DEFRA Global Atmosphere Division



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Trees, woodlands and forests will play an increasingly important role in a sustainable England. They are a vital part of our surroundings, whether town or country. One of our richest habitats for wildlife, they provide renewable

raw materials, they help create our distinctive landscapes, they protect the land and fi lter particulate pollution from the air. More people visit woods for recreation than the seaside – and woodland visits are increasingly recognised for their benefi ts to physical health and well-being. What is particularly striking is that they can provide many of these benefi ts at the same time on the same site. Woods and trees are valued highly both by the people that own them and the public that enjoys them.

It is eight years since the Government published the England Forestry Strategy. In that time we have gone a long way towards realising the Strategy’s vision of woodlands that deliver a wide range of public benefi ts. Over 30,000 hectares of new woodlands have been created and management grants have been approved for 165,000 hectares of private woodland. A series of major Government projects have regenerated landscapes around our towns and cities, creating new green places for people to enjoy. Last year I launched Keepers of Time, the Government’s new policy for ancient and native woodlands. The restoration of native woodland, already underway in both Forestry Commission and private woods, will be one of England’s largest conservation projects and a major contributor to reversing the decline in biodiversity. This is a fi rm foundation of achievement from which to develop the even greater contribution to sustainable living that I expect trees, woods and forests to make in the coming decade.

There are major opportunities. Few resources are as sustainable as trees, woods and forests. In contrast to the fi nite resources that underpin so much of our lives, with careful stewardship they can continue to replace what we use indefi nitely. For example, developing new markets for wood fuel could help in the fi ght against climate change as well as providing the market incentive for bringing badly needed management back to more of our woods. Access to woodlands in and around villages, towns and cities should make an increasingly important contribution to the quality of life in the new sustainable communities we will create over the next decade.

There are some real problems to address as well. Low timber prices make it diffi cult for those who want to manage their woods to do so profi tably and we have growing evidence of the impact of the lack of management on biodiversity. Pollution and climate change are having an increasing impact on our woodland; and although forestry is modernising to stay competitive a shortage of skilled workers could limit development in coming years.

Developing new policies and making them happen requires partnerships: private woodland owners, the voluntary sector, business, central and local Government and the public working together to the benefi t of us all. That is why this consultation – and your response to it – is so important. Your response will help us make the best of the marvellous resource that is our trees, woods and forests in England – for communities, for the economy and for the environment.

Jim Knight MP, Minister for Rural Affairs, Landscape and Biodiversity, DEFRA



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The UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UKBAP)The importance of biodiversity

Biodiversity encompasses the whole variety of life on Earth. It includes all species of plants and animals, but also their genetic variation, and the complex ecosystems of which they are part. It is not restricted to rare or threatened species but includes the whole of the natural world from the commonplace to the critically endangered.

The intricate network of ecosystems, habitats and species comprising Biodiversity provides the support systems that sustain human existence. It provides many of the essentials of life - our oxygen, water, food, clothing, health and relaxation. The value of biodiversity extends from the spiritual benefi ts to be gained from contact with nature, to the economic potential of wild species for new sources of food or medicines. This includes the potential for new products being produced through advances in biotechnology.

In a local context biodiversity has particular importance in giving a distinctive character to an area whether it be chalk downland, estuary, woodland or mountain. Even in towns and cities, oases of wildlife habitat make an important contribution to the quality of life.

However, the world is losing biodiversity at an ever-increasing rate as a result of human activity. In the UK we have lost over 100 species during the last century, with many more species and habitats in danger of disappearing, especially at the local level. On a world scale the rate of loss is now recognised to be a cause for serious concern, requiring concerted international action to prevent continued loss of biodiversity. The underlying reasons for biodiversity conservation make a compelling case. If we do not take action, we shall suffer both economic and spiritual loss. Moreover, we shall hand on to our successors a planet which is markedly poorer than the one we were privileged to inherit. We all have a part to play in safeguarding the Earth’s biodiversity and action needs to be taken at every level from local to global.

The UK Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) was published in January 1994 in response to Article 6 of the Biodiversity Convention, to develop national strategies for the conservation of biological diversity and the sustainable use of biological resources. It was preceded by a consultation exercise, culminating in a two day seminar.

The UK BAP included contributions from Government, statutory conservation agencies, the academic world and the voluntary sector. It committed the then Government and its agencies to 59 programmes or tasks: to conserve species and habitats; to develop public awareness and understanding; and to contribute to biodiver-sity work in the European and global context.

Following the publication of UK BAP, a Biodiversity Steering Group was established to advise the Government on implementation. The Steering Group had a wide-ranging membership including central and local Government, statutory nature conservation agencies, industry, the main collections, scientifi c and academic institutions, farming and land management, and the nature conservation NGOs.

The work of the Steering Group included:

* Proposals for monitoring a long list of 1252 species to provide a health check on biodiversity



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within the UK; * The production of action plans for 116 species and 14 habitats; * Recommendations to produce further action plans; * Improving the quality and accessibility of data and biological recording, including developing both a national database and local record centres; * The production of initial guidance on local biodiversity action plans, with the recommendation that more detailed guidelines should be produced; * Over 80 proposals to increase public awareness and foster education and training in biodiversity. A response to the Steering Group report was issued by the [then] Government in May 1996. This welcomed the objectives and targets put forward by the Steering Group and endorsed their aims and main proposals as a basis for follow-up action.

Implementation

A framework of Groups was established shortly after the publication of the Government’s Response to the UK Steering Group Report 1996 to drive the process forward. The UK Biodiversity Group (UKBG), chaired by Defra, provided the strategic steer to the UK process.

Four Country Groups (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales) took responsibility for overseeing implementation of the individual action plans, raising public awareness, encouraging implementation at the local level and promoting environmental education.

The Biodiversity Information Group (BIG)’s role is to improve accessibility and co-ordination of existing biological datasets, to provide common standards for future recording and to facilitate the creation of a UK Biodiversity Database. BIG administered the fi rst monitoring round of species and habitat action plans.

The Biodiversity Research Group has identifi ed and prioritised the cross-cutting research needed to support biodiversity work, to facilitate exchange of information about biodiversity research, and to explore mechanisms for co-operation including potential funding partnerships.

In October 1999 the UKBG completed the publication of the six tranches of species and habitat action plans which when added to those already published in the Steering Group report bring the total number of species and habitat actions plans published to some 391 and 45 respectively. Lead partner organisations or agencies have been appointed for the plans and implementation is underway.

A key area of current work relates to how we report progress towards species and habitat targets. This reporting process will build links between country biodiversity groups, national level habitat and species steering groups and local biodiversity groups. The fi rst round of reporting on the published species and habitat action plans was undertaken by the lead partners and agencies during 1999. The data collected has been analysed and the information it provided formed a major contribution to the UKBG’s follow up report on progress.

This report ‘Sustaining the Variety of Life: 5 years of the UK Biodiversity Action Plan’ gives an account of progress with the UK BAP, draws conclusions and makes recommendations for the future. It was published in March 2001 and a copy can be found at http://www.ukbap.org.uk/. The formal



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response by the UK Government was published on 27 August 2002, a copy of which may be viewed at www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-countryside/ewd/rrrpac/biodiv/bioresp.pdf.

The UKBG recommended in its report that new arrangements should be made to support the UKBAP which take account of the fact that following devolution most policies relevant to the conservation of biodiversity in the UK lay with the four countries. It proposed a looser arrangement for co-ordination at UK level involving a large, inclusive UK Biodiversity Partnership, to meet annually, supported by a small standing committee.

It was recognised early on that successful implementation of the UK Biodiversity Action Plan required some means of ensuring that the national strategy was translated into effective action at the local level and Local Biodiversity Action Plans are seen as the means by which this can be achieved. There are now over 160 local biodiversity action plans at some stage of development in the UK.

In March 2001 the UKBG launched a new website, to assist in the dissemination of information about the national and local biodiversity action plans. This site includes details of the national Species and Habitat Action Plans plus information on Local Biodiversity Action Plans. It can be found at http://www.ukbap.org.uk/

The England Biodiversity Group, chaired by Defra with a secretariat provided by the Biodiversity Policy Unit advises Government on biodiversity policy and the implementation of the UKBAP in England. It is co-ordinating its preparation of a Biodiversity Strategy for England to be published in September 2002.

The National Biodiversity Network Trust are developing a National Biodiversity Network. This is an electronically linked series of data sets including local record centre data and national recording scheme data. Further information about the NBN can be found on the internet at http://www.nbn.org.uk/.

Involving the business community has always been seen as a particularly important part of the UK Biodiversity process. The UK Round Table on Sustainable Development published ‘Business and Biodiversity’ - a guide to integrating biodiversity into environmental management systems in 1997. The DETR built upon this advice and published ‘Business and Biodiversity’- Case studies in March 2000. These studies give practical examples of how businesses are assisting the conservation and enhancement of biodiversity. They also set out ten indicators of biodiversity engagement for businesses.

EU biodiversity strategy

EU Biodiversity Strategy was adopted by the European Commission on 4 February 1998 and communicated to the Community Environment Council. Council conclusions were adopted on 29 October 2001.

The Strategy is intended to be complementary to the Strategies of the member states, and to further the implementation of existing Community policy on biological diversity and integration of biodiversity concerns into the relevant sectoral Community policies and instruments.

The Strategy is a framework and therefore takes a broad-brush approach proposing objectives for work in a number of key policy areas, covered by 4 sectoral Action Plans published by the Commission in March 2001 on Fisheries, Agriculture, Natural Resources and Economic Co-operation and Development. Progress on the implementation of the Action Plans is monitored by a Biodiversity Expert Group chaired by the Commission.



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Publications

If you are interested in reading more about biodiversity the relevant publications are:

* Sustainable Development: The UK Strategy, £22 ( 0-10-124262-X) * Biodiversity: The UK Action Plan (1994), £18.50 (ISBN 0-10-124282-4) * Biodiversity: The UK Steering Group Report - Volume I: Meeting The Rio Challenge, £26 (ISBN 0-11-753218-5) * Biodiversity: The UK Action Plan -Volume II: Action Plans, £30 (ISBN 0-11-753228-2) * Government Response to the UK Steering Group Report on Biodiversity, £7.90 (ISBN 0-10-132602-5) * UK Biodiversity Group: Tranche 2 Action Plans - Volume I Vertebrates and Vascular Plants (ISBN 1-85716-406-7) http://www.ukbap.org.uk/ * UK Biodiversity Group: Tranche 2 Action Plans - Volume II - Terrestrial and Freshwater Habitats (ISBN 1 85716 422 9) http://www.ukbap.org.uk/ * UK Biodiversity Group: Tranche 2 Action Plans - Volume III - Plants & Fungi (ISBN 1 85716 445 8) http://www.ukbap.org.uk/ * UK Biodiversity Group: Tranche 2 Action Plans - Volume IV- Invertebrates (ISBN 1 85716 448 2) http://www.ukbap.org.uk/ * UK Biodiversity Group: Tranche 2 Action Plans - Volume V- Maritime Species and Habitats (ISBN 1 85716 4679) http://www.ukbap.org.uk/ * UK Biodiversity Group: Tranche 2 Action Plans - Volume VI - Terrestrial and Freshwater Species and Habitats (ISBN 1 85716 4687) http://www.ukbap.org.uk/ * UK Biodiversity Group - Index to Steering Group Report and Tranche 2 Action Plans (ISBN 1 85716 4768) Free from Biodiversity Policy Unit and http://www.ukbap.org.uk/ * Sustaining the Variety of Life: 5 years of the UK Biodiversity Action Plan http://www.ukbap.org.uk/ * Government Response to the UK Biodiversity Report ‘Sustaining the Variety of Life: 5 years of the UK Biodiversity Action Plan’ http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-countryside/ewd/rrrpac/biodiv/bioresp.pdf * Biodiversity News - quarterly newsletter. Free from Biodiversity Policy Unit and http://www.ukbap.org.uk/ * Biodiversity - Lead Partner Telephone Directory. Free from Biodiversity Policy Unit. * Guidance for Local Biodiversity Action Plans:Guidance Note (GN) 1 - An IntroductionGN 2 - Developing PartnershipsGN 3 - How Local Biodiversity Action Plans Relate to Other PlansGN 4 - Evaluating Priorities and Setting Targets for Habitats and SpeciesGN 5 - Delivery Mechanisms. DOE & Local Government Management Board, 1997. Available free from Biodiversity Policy UnitGN6 - Education - Awareness to Action. CEE and England Biodiversity Group, 2000. Available free from Biodiversity Policy Unit * Business and Biodiversity: Available free from Earthwatch Tel. 01865 318800 * Putting a Bit Back: a Guide to Nature Conservation for Small to Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). Available free from Earthwatch Tel. 01865 318800 * Making Biodiversity Happen: Supplementary consultation paper in the Opportunities for Change Series. Reference only. Available from DEFRA Publications Tel. 08459 556000 * Local Biodiversity Action Plan Case Studies



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The Convention on Biological Diversity

The Convention on Biological Diversity was one of several major initiatives stemming from the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, which together form an International Agreement on sustainable development. The United Kingdom was one of 150 signatories to the Convention, which refl ects a world-wide concern that human activities are changing and destroying habitats and natural ecosystems on an increasing scale, with unprecedented loss of species. Signatories recognised that action must be taken to halt this global loss of animal and plant species and genetic resources and that each country has the primary responsibility to conserve and enhance biodiversity within its own jurisdiction. At the same time, they agreed to develop national strategies, plans and programmes for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, and to share resources to help implement such programmes. The Convention on Biological Diversity is essentially a commitment to conserving and sustaining the variety of life on earth. For further information on international biodiversity, please visit: www.biodiv.org/


Greater Spotted Woodpecker


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Government Strategy

The following information is taken from DEFRA’s consultation document, “England’s trees, woods and forests”

Woodland covers almost 9% of England’s land area, with around 2 billion trees on just over 1 million hectares of which 340,000 ha is ancient woodland and plantations on ancient woodland sites. England was once largely tree covered, but as long as 1,000 years ago man’s activities had reduced the forest to about 15% of the land area. Yet today we use less than 25% of the hardwood timber that could be harvested sustainably from our na-tive woodlands.

Roughly three-quarters of our woodlands and forests are privately owned while the rest, in public owner-ship, are mainly large, mature conifer plantations managed by the Forestry Commission. In contrast, England’s private woodlands are mostly broadleaved and are smaller, generally less than 100 hectares. About a quarter of private woodlands are on farm holdings. There are of course many other trees outside woodlands – in fi elds, hedgerows, orchards, gardens, parks and streets.

The England Forestry Strategy A New Focus for England’s Woodland (1998) set out a broad agenda for for-estry and highlighted the numerous public benefi ts that trees and woods could provide. It acted as a catalyst in changing the way we look at woodlands, their effect on our lives and the benefi ts they bring to society. It introduced new ideas for forestry and has seen them through into mainstream practice. At the time of publica-tion the Government said it would review the Strategy within 10 years. We think it is now an appropriate time to carry out that review and build on the current Strategy’s successes in the light of new Government policies and the growing evidence base on the contribution of trees, woods and forests to the wider sustainable devel-opment agenda, for example on health and well-being.

Sustainable development will be at the heart of our policies on trees, woods and forests, as it is in the current Strategy. The UK Government has recently made a commitment to pursue the goal of sustainable development ‘in an integrated way through a sustainable, innovative and productive economy that delivers high levels of employment; and a just society that promotes social inclusion, sustainable communities and personal well-be-ing. This will be done in ways that protect and enhance the physical and natural environment, and use resourc-es and energy as effi ciently as possible’2. The new UK Sustainable Development Strategy identifi es four priority areas for action: • climate change and energy; • natural resource protection and environmental enhancement; • sustainable consumption and production; and • sustainable communities.

Sustainably managed trees, woods and forests will have an important role in delivering all of these priorities in both rural and urban areas, through an integrated approach based on an understanding of ecosystems and environmental limits3.

2 Securing the future: delivering UK sustainable development strategy (2005), HM Government

3 http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-countryside/natres/ecosystem.htm



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Sustainability requires that one Government policy or action should not frustrate the purpose of another, or cause net environmental harm. The UK Government will fulfi l its international commitment to implement sustainable forest management as: ‘The stewardship and use of forests and forest lands in a way, and at a rate, that maintains their biodiversity, productivity, regeneration capacity, vitality and their potential to fulfi l, now and in the future, relevant ecological, economic and social functions, at local, national, and global levels, and that does not cause damage to other ecosystems’4

Sustainable development and management of trees, woods and forests will help to achieve several other new Government policies including:

England Biodiversity Strategy 20025, which sets out priority actions to protect woodland from threats and enhance both woodland and non-woodland habitats (such as lowland heathland) and their characteristic species. This is supported by Keepers of Time6, which is a more specifi c expression of Government policy on ancient and semi-natural woodlands;

UK Climate Change Programme7, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the Biomass Task Force report to government in 2005 made proposals to optimise the contribution of biomass to a range of Government targets on climate change and energy;

Sustainable Communities Plan 20038, which tackles housing supply and the quality of our public spaces; trees and woods will be an important part of a high quality ‘green infrastructure’ network;

Rural Strategy 20049, which presents three priorities for the countryside: economic and social regeneration, social justice and enhancing the value of our countryside; and the

Sustainable Food and Farming Strategy10, which has a key principle that viable livelihoods should be made from sustainable land management, both through the market and through payments for public benefi ts. This applies equally to farm woodlands and food production.

The arrangements for delivering Government policy have changed signifi cantly during the life of the current Forestry Strategy, with both decision making and delivery devolved more to a regional level.


Red Squirrel


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4 Second Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe (1993), RESOLUTION H1 General Guidelines for the Sus-

tainable Management of Forests in Europe, Helsinki (Finland)

5 Working with the Grain of Nature: A Biodiversity Strategy for England (2002), Defra

6 Keepers of Time: A statement of policy for England’s ancient and native woodlands (2005), Forestry Commission and Defra

7 Climate Change: The UK Programme (2000), DETR

8 Sustainable Communities: Building For The Future (2003), ODPM

9 Rural Strategy 2004, Defra

10 The Strategy for Sustainable Farming and Food: Facing the Future (2002), Defra

11 http://www.defra.gov.uk/rural/strategy/chapter4.htm

12 In Rural Strategy 2004, as part of the streamlining and simplifi cation of rural funding, the Government committed to creating

a single Environmental Land Management Fund (ELMF), bringing together existing grants currently operated through the Rural

Development Service, English Nature, the Countryside Agency and the Forestry Commission. The introduction and development

of ELMF will be an evolutionary process (starting in 2007 and continuing until around 2009). The English Woodland Grant

Scheme will continue into the next Rural Development Programme period, although there are likely to be changes over time

to ensure it fi ts the new funding framework. The Forestry Commission will remain the delivery body for the English Woodland

Grant Scheme, aligned with Natural England who will deliver grant schemes currently managed by the Rural Development

Service, English Nature and the Countryside Agency.

13 A new integrated agency to champion the environment, nature conservation, landscape and recreation (http://www.defra.gov.

uk/rural/ruraldelivery/natural-england.htm).


Policies for trees, woods and forests will be integrated into wider land use and planning policy through regional policy documents including the Regional Forestry Frameworks, Regional Rural Delivery Frameworks, Regional Spatial Strategies and Regional Economic Strategies. As set out in Rural Strategy 2004, Defra will devolve control of socioeconomic funding to Regional Development Agencies (RDAs)11, while sustainable management of both farmland and woodland will be supported by the new Environmental Land Management Fund12 and delivered by Natural England13 and the Forestry Commission working in partnership.

We want to produce a new strategy for trees, woods and forests that refl ects these changes and is a high-level statement of policy that clearly sets out Government’s national priorities. The new Strategy will be supported by an action plan developed by the Forestry Commission and the newly established Natural England.

This consultation looks at the opportunities and challenges for the sector, then defi nes the role of Government and discusses the Government priorities which we think should be the basis of the new strategy.


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Challenges and opportunities

To make decisions about something as long-term as woodland management, we have to think hard about the challenges and opportunities facing the sector in, at least, the next ten years:

Globalisation is a major issue. The price of timber has been falling for years and is now about a quarter of what it was in the 1980s, and cheap timber imports are likely to be available for some time. This will be a big challenge for England’s woodland owners and many woodlands will not make money from timber sales alone.

Sustainable land management and sustainable products are important to both Government and to individual consumers. Wood is increasingly recognised as a sustainable material, especially in the construc-tion industry, linked to other benefi ts of woodland management such as maintaining biodiversity. This is true of wood from sustainably managed forests anywhere in the world but locally sourced timber will use less energy in transportation. We need to capitalise on this in promoting the use of wood versus other materials. In addition we need to ensure that the ‘environmental’ services woodland provides are protected and enhanced through ecosystem-based approaches like sustainable forest management.

Climate change seems already to be having an impact on our weather, and the pressing need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and manage water resources more effectively will have a major impact on wood-land policy. We also need to consider how climate change will directly and indirectly affect other woodland benefi ts such as natural resource protection.

Wildlife has been in serious decline but there are signs that, for some woodland species and habitats, changes to the way that woods are created and managed (including their removal to restore open habitats) are be-ginning to halt or reverse these trends. We need to continue to adapt our approach to the conservation and enhancement of woodlands to refl ect the changing pressures to which our wildlife is subjected e.g. urban development; eutrophication and other environmental factors; and damage caused by introduced and other species.

Urban development is being driven by the rising demand for housing. People are asking how this can be met, and looking for green space to go with acceptable new housing development. Trees and woodland can be used to create more attractive settings for new development and regenerate those areas that are damaged and derelict. More habitats for wildlife are needed in and around our towns and cities to secure future biodiversity and bring the benefi ts of the natural environment closer to people.

Patterns of rural land use and ownership may change as farmers adjust their businesses to the new Single Payment Scheme. Some marginal land may be farmed less intensively, offering the possibility of natural wood-land colonisation or planting with conventional woodland or biomass crops. At the same time the price of some woodland areas has risen above the level that refl ects their timber value, as more and more people seek to buy a rural lifestyle.

The balance between regulation and incentive is important – we have all become used to Government looking hard for real evidence of public benefi t when it spends taxpayers’ money. At the same time, it seeks to allow people the freedom to manage their lives and their land, while maintaining safeguards on the environ-ment. Forestry has a particular problem in that the delivery of real benefi ts may occur many years after the cost is incurred, so providing certain evidence of return on money spent can be diffi cult.



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Environmental sustainability

Trees, woods and forests are a dominant feature of both rural and urban landscapes. Their longevity ensures that soils, seed banks and drainage patterns remain essentially undisturbed for a long time; hundreds of years in the case of ancient woodlands. This continuity has meant that trees and woodlands have been able to accumulate biodiversity, store carbon and become an essential element of the wider ecosystem within a landscape.

Climate changeThe global climate is changing, largely because man’s activities have released carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Deforestation, mainly in the tropics, has contributed to these emissions but trees and woodlands can also help us to deal with climate change through carbon sequestration, by providing woodfuel as a substitute for fossil fuels; timber to substitute for other products; and by protecting natural resources, particularly soil and water.

Carbon sequestrationSequestration is the uptake and storage of carbon by trees and other vegetation. Planting trees to absorb carbon is recognised as a way of enhancing the carbon sink to compensate for CO

2 emissions from fossil

fuels. Under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol the UK Government is committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 12.5% of the 1990 total by 2008/12. This is equivalent to 21 MtC/year. A more demanding UK target has also been set, to cut CO

2 emissions by 20% by

2020, equivalent to 30 MtC/year.

Woodland which has been established since 1990 will remove an average of 0.265 MtC per year between 2006 and 2020, assuming that annual planting continues at current levels. However, the dynamics of tree growth mean that increasing the rate of woodland creation now would have limited impact on these targets, because maximum carbon sequestration would be achieved after 2020. As an illustration, tripling the area planted annually (from 4,500 ha to 12,223 ha) between 2006 and 2020 would only realise relatively modest increases in annual sequestration of 0.023 MtC in 2010 rising to 0.288 MtC in 2020 and 0.290 MtC in 2035.

The contribution of woodland creation to carbon savings is worthwhile but limited. A more signifi cant contribution would mean a large increase in planting rates. The area of land required


for planting to make a major contribution to carbon sequestration targets far exceeds that which is likely to become available. All contributions to meeting the challenging emissions reduction targets are valuable, but we do not believe that carbon sequestration alone is a reason for supporting afforestation, although it is an important additional gain from managing and planting woodlands and forests for other public benefi ts. This strengthens the case for targeted, multi-purpose woodland creation.

We also need to protect the existing carbon sequestration capacity of our woodlands, including the forest soils which represent a much larger carbon reservoir than the trees22. It is important for owners to follow soil conservation guidelines on current best practice23.

The overall trend in England is still one of afforestation, with deforestation of around 1,000 hectares a year more than compensated for by new woodland creation at a rate of around 4,500 hectares a year. The deforestation fi gure includes some 500-1,000 hectares a year, that is restored to priority open habitat. The majority of these are mature conifer woodlands that would have been felled anyway in a conventional rotation. The current balance of woodland removal and creation is adequate to ensure that we do not diminish the existing carbon sink, although it is vital that managers follow guidance on best practice to avoid soil disturbance and so protect the soil carbon store. However, if the rate of deforestation for open habitat restoration increases, we should take steps to ensure the carbon sink is not reduced.

22 Poulton PR (1996). Geescroft Wilderness, 1883-1995. In: evaluation of soil organic matter models using existing long-term

datasets, eds DS Powlson, P Smith and JU Smith. NATO ASI Series I, vol 38.

23 Forests and soil conservation guidelines (1998), Forestry Commission, Edinburgh



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Biodiversity

Woodland habitats, and ancient woodland in particular, are among the most biologically rich of all our terrestrial habitats. The UK Biodiversity Action Plan29 (BAP) has fi ve priority woodland habitats and 65 priority species associated with woodland, including the high brown fritillary butterfl y, the red squirrel and the bullfi nch.

The richest biodiversity is often found in woodlands that have a long history on a site and are now actively and sensitively managed (maybe with a very light touch). Much effort has gone into improving the management of woodland Sites of Special Scientifi c Interest (SSSIs) and by the autumn of last year 76% of them were in favourable or recovering condition30. We know less about the condition of native woodlands outside SSSIs but the information we have suggests a 36% decline in plant diversity since 197131. More encouragingly, the rate at which most woodland bird populations are declining seems to have slowed down but we are still concerned about some woodland specialists including the spotted fl ycatcher (down 85% since the 1980s)32.

The challenge for the Strategy and our delivery partners will be to improve habitat quality by bringing more woodland into sensitive management, whilst continuing to enhance the biodiversity in good quality woodlands and protecting all woodlands from pests and other damage.

Managing for biodiversity is important, not just within the woodlands, but also in the wider countryside, in order to create a mosaic of semi-natural habitats which provide corridors for wildlife and help to buffer valuable sites, particularly ancient woodlands, from external impacts such as pesticide drift. This landscape-scale approach is a recognised part of our policy for Natura 200033, and will become even more important in future, given the prospect of rapid climate change.

Government objectives to protect and improve the wildlife value of our woodlands are framed within the Biodiversity Strategy for England34, with more specifi c commitments in the new UK Habitat and Species Action Plan targets which will be agreed in 2006 and in the recent policy statement on ancient and semi-natural woodlands Keepers of Time35. Government has also set out policy and action plans for addressing threats from certain pests in Grey Squirrels and England’s Woodlands36 and The Sustainable Management of Wild Deer Populations in England37. Our priorities are to:• sustain and enhance the biodiversity of England’s woodlands and ancient trees, reverse the long-term

decline in woodland species – as revealed by trends in groups such as birds, bats and butterfl ies – with high priority given to native and ancient woodlands;

• bring woodland SSSIs into favourable condition;• implement the UK Biodiversity Action Plans (BAP) for woodland habitats and priority species;• improve the landscape context of woodland; and• protect woodland biodiversity from damage – for example from deer, densely shading non-native trees, farm

livestock, and invasive plants and animals.

29 Biodiversity: The UK Action Plan (1994), HMSO

30 Unpublished data, English Nature Sites and Surveillance Team

31 Kirby, K.J., Smart, S.M., Black, H.I.J., Bunce, R.G.H, Corney,P.M.and Smithers,R.J. (2005), Long term ecological


change in British woodland (1971-2001), Peterborough: English Nature (Research Report 653)

32 Report by BTO and RSPB to Defra, FC, English Nature and the Woodland Trust

33 COUNCIL DIRECTIVE 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and fl ora (as

subsequently amended). Article 10: ‘Member States shall endeavour, where they consider it necessary, in their land-use planning

and development policies and, in particular, with a view to improving the ecological coherence of the Natura 2000 network,

to encourage the management of features of the landscape which are of major importance for wild fauna and fl ora. Such

features are those which, by virtue of their linear and continuous structure (such as rivers with their banks or the traditional

systems for marking fi eld boundaries) or their function as stepping stones (such as ponds or small woods), are essential for the

migration, dispersal and genetic exchange of wild species.’

34 Working with the Grain of Nature: A Biodiversity Strategy for England (2003), Defra

35 Keepers of Time: A statement of policy for England’s ancient and native woodlands (2005), Forestry Commission and Defra

36 Grey Squirrels and England’s Woodlands: Policy and Action (2006), Forestry Commission

37 The Sustainable Management of Wild Deer Populations in England: Policy and Action (2004), Forestry Commission

LandscapeTrees and woodlands are vital elements of England’s rural and urban landscapes including some of our fi n-est landscapes, such as National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Field, hedgerow and street trees, individually or in small groups, are defi ning features of many landscape character areas; veteran trees in particular are increasingly recognised as having great ecological and cultural value. Of course, landscape is not just about existing heritage but also about using trees to create new landscapes in both urban and rural areas, as the achievements of the National Forest and the Community Forests have shown.

Social sustainabilityWoods and trees inform our sense of place, and have long been important to local and national culture and history. Their role in securing both quality of life and social inclusion is developing fast. Woodlands and trees in and around cities, towns and villages, and in our streets and gardens are particularly valuable. They act as an attractive green setting for housing and other development, screen transport corridors, regenerate derelict land, harbour wildlife, provide shade, fi lter air pollution and provide sites for recreation close to where people live. Woodlands offer an attractive outdoor setting for community activities such as education and volunteer-ing, as well as contributing to mental and spiritual well-being41. In addition to these social and environmental benefi ts, urban woodland can generate economic benefi ts, for instance by improving the attractiveness of an area to inward investment.

41 Trees Matter! Bringing Lasting Benefi ts to People in Towns (2005), NUFU/Trees for Cities.




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Public access to woodlands

The opportunity to have contact with nature close to home can have a positive impact on people’s quality of life and health, and woodlands are a popular choice for outdoor access – an estimated 222 million woodland visits were made during 2002/0342. At present around half the population has access to larger woods (20 hectares or more) within four kilometres of where they live43.

The Government’s national planning policies require local authorities to assess the needs of local communities for open spaces, to plan to meet those needs44, and also to protect existing open spaces where necessary. This includes woodlands that are urban green spaces and also those which are part of the accessible countryside in urban fringe areas. We would recommend all local authorities to consider the value of woodland in their open space provision, and to make efforts to increase the numbers of people seeking to use these woodlands.

We believe that the social benefi ts of woodland access are suffi cient justifi cation for continuing to encourage access to woodland as a national priority45. The new Strategy will emphasise the effective use of existing woodlands where they are available and where access and biodiversity objectives can be balanced. In places with little existing woodland close to where people live, and a lack of other high quality green space, support for woodland creation will be appropriate. Targeting this investment to meet social needs and provide value for money will be important, and a regional and local approach will be essential.

Targeting is not just a geographic issue. Diversity and inclusion must be drivers for encouraging access to woodland, in line with Government policies to reduce social and health inequity. The priority will be to identify areas of signifi cant social disadvantage where people would benefi t from better access to a quality environment and the opportunities for activity that woodland offers. It will be important to improve physical access to woods where there is already legal access, provide better information and take positive action to attract users from diverse social and cultural groups.

42 Great Britain Day Visits Survey 2002/3. A survey undertaken by the Countryside Agency, Countryside Council for Wales, British

Waterways, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Environment Agency, Forestry Commission, Scottish Natural Heritage,

VisitBritain, VisitScotland and Wales Tourist Board. Available from www.countryside.gov.uk.

43 Space for People (2004), The Woodland Trust

44 Planning Policy Guidance note 17: Planning for Open Space, Sport and Recreation (PPG17) (2002), ODPM

45 Crabtree R with Willis K, Selman P and Tucker G (2005), Review of Evidence for the Formulation of Forestry Policy in England,

Defra



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HealthIncreasing physical activity of the population is an important aim and as part of its delivery plan46 the Government has agreed a health concordat with key delivery bodies, including the Forestry Commission, to encourage outdoor activities as a means of improving people’s health and well being. Schemes such as the Walking for Health Initiative and Green Gyms are already helping people get more active and last year the Active Woods campaign ran over 1,000 events and activities, including organised runs and Tai Chi.

The central contribution of the new Strategy to the Government’s health agenda will be to ensure that suitable, accessible woodlands contribute to a network of open green spaces available for everyone. Decisions on projects to encourage the use of woodlands for outdoor activity should be made locally.

RecreationPeople benefi t from opportunities to use woodland for walking and for more specialised recreation such as mountain biking, horse riding, game shooting and even husky racing. Woodlands are particularly good at ‘absorbing’ a large number of users relative to their size. It is estimated that forests and woodland in Great Britain provide recreational benefi ts worth £354million a year and that much of this is provided free of charge47. Many of these activities also help to support local jobs in tourist accommodation, catering and other businesses. Experience has shown that public investment in high quality facilities – such as play areas and cycle tracks – can signifi cantly increase participation rates, delivering physical and mental health benefi ts.

Trees within the green infrastructureThe quality of life in urban areas is enormously enhanced by well-planned green infrastructure and its impact may be particularly dramatic in areas of high environmental or social deprivation. In the most deprived areas of the UK only 46% of people say they enjoy where they live, in comparison to 79% in the least deprived areas48. Projects like Newlands in Greater Manchester have improved degraded urban environments49, and in the 12 Community Forests the rate of planting increased by 25% under the England Forestry Strategy (EFS), with 5,783 hectares of new woodland planted between 1998/99 and 2004/05, supported by Government funding through the Forestry Commission and the Community


Woodland special locational supplement. There is also useful experience to draw on from the Growth Areas where infrastructure needs have been considered and barriers to growth and regeneration have been addressed locally. This includes the development of Green Infrastructure Strategies to inform Local Development Frameworks.

Developing the social outputs from green infrastructure is as important as managing the physical resource itself. Increasingly people are becoming involved in the management and use of their local woodland, often through community forestry projects. For example, more than one hundred Forest Schools in England now offer children, young people and adults local opportunities to develop their confi dence through learning in woodlands, forming an important element of the Government’s drive to re-engage children with the outdoors; there are around 10,000 volunteers working as tree wardens around the country; over 250 local groups in the Woodland Trust’s community woodland network; and 115 in the Woodland Initiatives Network. Design of urban tree planting is improving to meet such needs and the experience of the Community Forests and the National Forest is particularly valuable. Community forestry should play an important role in linking people with their environment and in helping all sectors of the community to enjoy England’s trees and woodlands and the benefi ts they offer.

Trees within a network of linked green spaces should be an integral part of the planning and development of our existing and future urban landscapes. This green infrastructure is an essential part of creating places where people want to live and needs to be given equal consideration alongside the provision of transport, education and health infrastructures. Woodland in and around towns and on land damaged by development will be a national priority for woodland creation and management. This is also supported through planning policy.50

Delivery partners at a regional and local level will need to take a wider, integrated view of the woodland resource and its relationship to development and community needs, and to agree green infrastructure objectives for their area to complement the existing provision of trees and woodlands.

46 Choosing Activity: a physical activity action plan (2005), Department of Health

47 Willes , K. G., G. Garrod, R. Scarpa, N. Power, A. Lovett, I.J. Bateman, N. Hanley and D. C. Macmillan (2003). The Social and

Environmental Benefi ts of Forests in Great Britain. Report to Forestry Commission, Edinburgh. Centre for Environmental

Appraisal and Management, University of Newcastle upon Tyne.

48 2001 Home Offi ce Citizenship Survey: people, families and communities (2003), Home Offi ce

49 http://www.redroseforest.co.uk/forestpro/newlands.html

50 Planning Policy Guidance note 3 : Housing (PPG3) (Updated 2005), ODPM




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Managing urban trees

Individual trees – in gardens, streets and parks – are of great importance in our towns and cities. They enhance the appearance of an area, as well as fi ltering noise and providing privacy. However, urban environments can be very hostile to trees and our urban trees need to be carefully managed, especially new plantings. A signifi cant proportion of urban trees die prematurely, particularly new plantings. Figures suggest that mortality rates are 27% in public open spaces and 29% for trees by highways51. These fi gures are much lower in areas where there is investment in post planting maintenance of trees. In addition there are confl icts between older trees and the built environment. Local authorities have their own processes to assess and manage the risk presented by trees, and Government advice on tree strategies is available52. Planning for the management of urban woodlands and individual trees, both on streets and in gardens, and how this fi ts into a wider strategy for local green space and environmental quality, will be an issue for local decision making.

The historic environment

There is a growing awareness and appreciation of the historic value of woodlands and of the importance of features within them. In landscapes heavily modifi ed in recent times woodlands may be protecting the remaining evidence of historic land use such as older settlements and earthworks. However trees do not always make a positive contribution – insensitive conifer plantations have previously marred treasured upland landscapes and archaeological features may be susceptible to damage from root growth or wind throw. The cultural heritage associated with woodland offers a great opportunity to inspire local communities, involve children and engage woodland owners. We must continue working to identify and protect unscheduled sites and features within woodland and to provide people with information about them.

51 Trees in Towns (1994), HMSO and DoE

52 Urban Tree Strategies (1994), DoE



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The overall amount of woodland planting and woodland management

A key feature of the new Strategy will be its focus on targeted action to deliver the national priorities identi-fi ed earlier in this chapter, targeted at a regional and local level where maximum public benefi t will accrue. To summarise, these priorities are:

• Environmental sustainability Ensuring that existing trees and woodlands contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by substituting for fossil fuels in energy production and manufacturing; understanding and using woodlands to protect the resources of soil, water and air; ensuring woodlands are robust enough to adapt to climate change; delivering BAP targets on woodland habitats and open habitats; managing trees and woodlands to enhance and protect the landscape and historic features.

• Social sustainability Promoting access to woodland close to where people live, for health and recreation; increasing the contribution of trees and woods to a network of open spaces, local environmental quality, social inclusion and community engagement in urban areas; using trees and woodlands to rehabilitate degraded urban landscapes; and improving awareness of the value of urban trees.

• Economic sustainability Assisting the industry to adapt to emerging markets through capacity building, skills and knowledge transfer and supply chain initiatives; support for business development through the Rural Development Programme for England 2007-13 will be targeted by Regional Development Agencies having regard to the priority to help those rural areas whose economies are lagging behind the region.


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What David Bellamy says

“The planting of the right native trees in the right ecological setting not

only enhances the natural process of soil formation and stabilisation but

increases the native biodiversity of the area. It is also generally recognised

that an average tree throughout its growing lifetime sequesters something

in the region of 730kg of carbon dioxide.”

Prof, Dr David J Bellamy OBE, PhD Hon; DSc, FLS, FBiol



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Professor David Bellamy OBE is a patron of Tree Appeal. He has been planting

trees all his life and has this to say:

TREES and US!

(People and trees are mainly made of water and carbon)

Planting trees proves that your Company cares about the future.

Trees are solar powered, self-repairing, protectors of landscapes and lifestyles.

Planting the right trees in the right place is real cool.

Above ground they provide:

Shade from the heat of the sun Shelter, from the wind Green leaf Air conditioning Screens from atmospheric pollution Homes, habitats and food, for plants and animals Hold carbon dioxide in living store

Below ground they:

Build, protect and stabilise healthy soils. Reduce and reuse natural waste Recycle all useful nutrients Sustain an incredible diversity of living things Store carbon ready for recycling

Trees provide around half the human population with energy for heating and cooking.

Plant trees and do your bit to stitch our world back into more sustainable working order.

SHOW YOUR COMPANY REALLY CARES. PLANT TREES!



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The right trees in the right placesBy planting the right trees in the right places we are providing wildlife habitat for many hundreds of years and passing on to future generations a fascinating and highly valuable ecological heritage.

The following are some of the trees identifi ed by tree planting partners. They are all native broad-leaved trees which will be planted in the appropriate regions and habitats throughout the country.





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Climate change

Climate change is really happening... Planting trees is a sustainable answer

Climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our modern day world. There is now an understanding of the basic mechanics of climate change; the world is warming, much of the warming is due to human emissions of greenhouse gasses caused primarily from the burning of fossil fuels.

The experts state that, globally, emissions of carbon dioxide must be reduced by at least 60%, however presently the percentage is climbing and since the industrial revolution carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased by 30%. Scientists predict that climate change will result in more extreme weather patterns - more cyclones, fl oods and droughts. With such changes in our climate, rising sea levels will threaten coastal environments, it will be harder to grow food successfully, and the rate of species extinction will increase.

The natural process of our living planet produces a fi ne balance between oxygen and carbon dioxide through the respiration of animals and the photosynthesis of plants. Through the extensive history of our planet a considerable quantity of carbon dioxide has been converted into carbon through the biomass of plants, and the shells of sea creatures. At the end of their lifecycle, large quantities of sea creatures and plants have been deposited to eventually produce coal, oil and sedimentary rocks and in so doing they have acted as a mechanism to lock up carbon. This natural process has maintained the fi ne balance between oxygen and carbon dioxide; however the problem starts when we start realising carbon stored over millions of years in the timeframe of only 250 years in the form of carbon dioxide and a cocktail of many other greenhouse gasses. Sedimentary rocks and fossil fuels are known as carbon sinks and the only effective way to help offset the carbon released from these sinks into our atmosphere is to use our planetʼs natural long-term carbon sinks which are trees.

Forests throughout the world contain 45% of the global stock of carbon; however global deforestation is reducing our planetʼs ability to cope with the increase in carbon dioxide and the process is further adding carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. Trees are the longest lived organism on the planet and over a hundred year period one tree will lock up approximately 200kg of carbon. If our planet is to have a future as we presently know and enjoy we all have a



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responsibility to reduce our carbon footprint, we must make an effort to reduce and offset our modern day carbon dioxide emissions.

By planting trees we all can seriously help to offset our individual carbon dioxide emissions reducing our individual carbon footprint. However tree saplings have to be bought, land found on which to plant them and then they need to be managed through the early stages of their life.


Tree Appeal is not a charity. It is a marketing initiative which enables companies to make a

positive contribution to the environment through the planting of native broad-leaved trees

- and receive the appropriate credit.

Tree Appeal takes care of the logistics of planting your trees, giving third party recognition

for doing so, assisting with the organisation of high profi le PR plantings, providing

environmental celebrities when required, and most importantly giving you a strong USP by

granting Tree Appeal exclusivity in your market sector.

Tree Appeal has established itself as a green ‘Dolby’ accreditation. Every market sector

which adopts and uses the Tree Appeal logo and carries out high profi le marketing and PR

activity is assisting in raising the awareness for all those who use the Tree Appeal brand.

The secret to the success of Tree Appeal is to integrate tree planting into your product

offering which gives your customers the satisfaction of knowing that they made a

contribution to the planting of a tree.

What Tree Appeal does for you:

• You are 'Seen to be Green'


• You raise your profi le, locally and

nationally, for all the right reasons

• It helps reduce your

‘carbon footprint’

• You make an ongoing long-term

contribution to the environment

Why become a Tree Appeal Partner?



Documents

Why We Plant Trees