Latest news with #AlexStone
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Net zero forest to be planted on swathes of farmland
A new net zero forest will be planted on swathes of farmland from the Cotswolds to the Mendips. The Western Forest will include 20 million trees on farmland and in cities including Bristol and Swindon by 2050 to help balance out greenhouse gas emissions to hit the Government's net zero goals. Nearly three-quarters (73 per cent) of the land for new trees will be agricultural and farmers and landowners will be paid to plant trees from taxpayer funds, with other funding from private investment and cash from housing developers. The Government has fallen behind on ambitious and legally binding targets to increase tree cover across England from 14.5 per cent to 16.5 per cent by 2050. The £7.5 million scheme to create 2,500 hectares of new woodland between Gloucester and Salisbury, the first new national forest in 30 years, will pay farmers significant sums to plant new trees. But there are concerns that the push for new woodland will displace food production and less productive agriculture, such as tenanted sheep farming. Commenting on the announcement of the new national forest, George Dunn of the Tenant Farmers Association, said: 'This is a Government which appears to be keen to look at removing land from agriculture, rather than doing what it said it would do in making food security, national security. 'We have seen very little from this Government about how it intends to build the resilience, the capacity and the profitability of the sector.' A recent policy document from the environment department suggested some 10 per cent of farmland would need to be taken out of food production to meet net zero and nature targets. Defra said the scheme would not allow woodland to be created on the most productive agricultural land, and would encourage farmers to integrate forestry into their food production. 'This is about resource, funding and expertise coming directly to landowners, partners and communities, planting millions of trees in the right places,' said Alex Stone, the chief executive of Forest of Avon, England's Community Forests. 'Together, we will enhance landscapes for all to enjoy, improving the lives of our 2.5 million residents and visitors to the region.' The Western Forest, the first of three pledged by the Labour Government before the election, will not be a single continuous woodland, but will increase coverage of trees in five priority areas. These include land between Chippenham and Warminster and between Bristol and Gloucester. Under the existing England Woodland Creation Offer, farmers could receive almost £23,000 per hectare of new tree planting. That compares to £20 per hectare for fields in the most basic green farming payments scheme, which was paused by the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs last week. It comes after the Government announced the release of wild beavers in England and a comprehensive ban on neonicotinoid pesticides used on sugar beet crops. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
21-03-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
New forest to be planted to help hit Government's net zero goals
A new forest will be planted on swathes of farmland from the Cotswolds to the Mendips to help hit the Government's net zero goals. The Western Forest will include 20 million trees on farmland and in cities including Bristol and Swindon by 2050 to try and balance out greenhouse gas emissions. Nearly three-quarters (73 per cent) of the land for new trees will be agricultural and farmers and landowners will be paid to plant trees from taxpayer funds, with other funding from private investment and cash from housing developers. The Government has fallen behind on ambitious and legally binding targets to increase tree cover across England from 14.5 per cent to 16.5 per cent by 2050. The £7.5 million scheme to create 2,500 hectares of new woodland between Gloucester and Salisbury, the first new national forest in 30 years, will pay farmers significant sums to plant new trees. However, there are concerns that the push for new woodland will displace food production and less productive agriculture, such as tenanted sheep farming. 'We will enhance landscapes for all to enjoy' Commenting on the announcement of the new national forest, George Dunn of the Tenant Farmers Association, said: 'This is a Government which appears to be keen to look at removing land from agriculture, rather than doing what it said it would do in making food security, national security. 'We have seen very little from this Government about how it intends to build the resilience, the capacity and the profitability of the sector.' A recent policy document from the environment department suggested some 10 per cent of farmland would need to be taken out of food production to meet net zero and nature targets. Defra said the scheme would not allow woodland to be created on the most productive agricultural land and would encourage farmers to integrate forestry into their food production. 'This is about resource, funding and expertise coming directly to landowners, partners and communities, planting millions of trees in the right places,' said Alex Stone, the chief executive of Forest of Avon, England's Community Forests. 'Together, we will enhance landscapes for all to enjoy, improving the lives of our 2.5 million residents and visitors to the region.' The Western Forest, the first of three pledged by the Labour Government before the election, will not be a single continuous woodland but will increase coverage of trees in five priority areas. These include land between Chippenham and Warminster and between Bristol and Gloucester. Under the existing England Woodland Creation Offer, farmers could receive almost £23,000 per hectare of new tree planting. That compares to £20 per hectare for fields in the most basic green farming payments scheme, which was paused by the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs last week. It comes after the Government announced the release of wild beavers in England and a comprehensive ban on neonicotinoid pesticides used on sugar beet crops.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
New ‘national forest' plans for west of England unveiled
A new 'national forest' is to be created across a swathe of the west of England from the Cotswolds to the Mendips, the Government has said. The new 'Western Forest' project will create 2,500 hectares (6,200 acres) of woodland by 2030 across five priority areas in Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Bristol, with plans to plant 20 million trees by 2050. The Government said the announcement was a first step in meeting its manifesto commitment to create three new national forests, and would bring trees and woodlands closer to people in urban centres such as Bristol, Gloucester and Swindon. The scheme is the first national forest for 30 years – following on from the establishment of the National Forest in the Midlands – and aims to increase woodlands and tree cover to boost wildlife, tackle climate change and provide access to nature for people. With nearly three-quarters of the planned forest's area (73%) being farmland, part of the project will look to integrate trees into the farmed landscape through agroforestry and farm woodlands, which can regenerate soil and protect against drought and flood while producing food. The project will also work to revitalise existing woodlands and other important natural habitats, Environment Department (Defra) officials said. In addition to 2,500 hectares of new woodland, there are plans to bring 1,500 hectares (3,700 acres) of woodland into sustainable management by 2030. The Western Forest will be spearheaded by the Forest of Avon, one of England's community forests, and supported by up to £7.5 million of Government funding over five years, Defra said. The funding will help create new woodland that connects existing established woods as well creating mixed habitat and supporting community planting, in locations where it can help nature recover and trees can contribute to alleviating floods and slowing flows of water in storms. The project also involves England's Community Forests, West of England Combined Authority, local authorities, the National Trust, the Wildlife Trusts, Cotswolds and Mendips National Landscape, and the Forestry Commission. The National Forest Company, which manages the existing National Forest in the Midlands, will support the new forest's project team. Nature Minister Mary Creagh said: 'We will plant 20 million trees in the Western Forest to bring nature closer to people, prevent flooding and support wildlife.' Alex Stone, chief executive of the Forest of Avon trust, said the project would enhance landscapes and improve the lives of the region's 2.5 million residents, as well as visitors to the area. She added: 'The Western Forest will enhance, connect and improve our urban and rural landscapes, support investment into the region, create jobs and skills opportunities and bring the endless benefits we get back from planting and caring for our trees.' National Forest chief executive John Everitt added: 'This initiative builds on the success of the National Forest in the Midlands, where planting more than 9.8 million trees has transformed the landscape, benefiting wildlife, communities and the economy. 'The Western Forest was selected because of its ability to demonstrate a similar scale of ambition, with trees and woods supporting growth and farming while enhancing nature's recovery and access to green space.'
The Guardian
21-03-2025
- General
- The Guardian
New forest to be created in west of England, with 20m trees planted by 2050
A new Western Forest is to be created across a swathe of the west of England from the Cotswolds to the Mendips, the government has said. The project, one of the government's promised national forests, will create 2,500 hectares (6,200 acres) of woodland by 2030 across five priority areas in Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Bristol, with plans to plant 20m trees by 2050. The government said the announcement was a first step in meeting its manifesto commitment, and would bring trees and woodlands closer to people in cities and towns such as Bristol, Gloucester and Swindon. The scheme is the first new national forest for 30 years – following on from the establishment of the National Forest in the Midlands – and aims to increase woodlands and tree cover to boost wildlife, help to mitigate the climate crisis, and provide access to nature for people. Nearly three-quarters of the planned forest's area is farmland, and the Western Forest will look to integrate trees into the farmed landscape through agroforestry and farm woodlands, which can regenerate soil and protect against drought and flood while producing food. The project would also work to revitalise existing woodlands and other important natural habitats, officials at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said. In addition to 2,500 hectares of new woodland, there are plans to bring 1,500 hectares (3,700 acres) more into sustainable management by 2030. The Western Forest would be spearheaded by the Forest of Avon, one of England's community forests, and supported by up to £7.5m of government funding over five years, Defra said. The money will help create new woodland that connects established woods, as well as creating mixed habitat and supporting community planting in locations where trees can contribute to alleviating floods and slowing flows of water in storms. The nature minister, Mary Creagh, said: 'We will plant 20m trees in the Western Forest to bring nature closer to people, prevent flooding and support wildlife.' Alex Stone, the chief executive of the Forest of Avon Trust, said the project would enhance landscapes and improve the lives of the region's 2.5 million residents, as well as visitors to the area. Sign up to Down to Earth The planet's most important stories. Get all the week's environment news - the good, the bad and the essential after newsletter promotion She added: 'The Western Forest will enhance, connect and improve our urban and rural landscapes, support investment into the region, create jobs and skills opportunities and bring the endless benefits we get back from planting and caring for our trees.' The National Forest chief executive, John Everitt, said: 'This initiative builds on the success of the National Forest in the Midlands, where planting more than 9.8m trees has transformed the landscape, benefiting wildlife, communities and the economy.'
