based on the govs failure to deliver on planting trees in their last 2 manifestos, does anyone think this will even come close to being a reality?

we already lag so far behind, other EU countries and import much of our timber from France & all over

add to that the jaw dropping incomptence of May & co and this is just so much fluff

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-41551296

we already lag so far behind

Just because somewhere has less of one thing, doesn’t always make it a bad thing. Nobody goes to Egypt and fails to see Luxor because of the trees in the way and wishes their view was properly spoiled, or breaks down in tears at the sight of endless bulb fields in Holland wishing for some nice Sitka instead. Not every statistic is a contest.

Doncaster-based oak Roy Hobbs said: “I expect down south the trees think we’re a bunch of thick deciduous bastards who’ve never heard of nature trails or picnic areas.

“Well let me tell you this. I’ve just had a dead branch removed by the Forestry Commission using a state-of-the-art Bosch trimmer vehicle.

“We may not grow in fancy London parks but we’ve got a sense of community. Trees round here would give you their last acorn if you asked. You wouldn’t get that in the New Forest.”

😀

Essentially – done right, trees are a huge force for good, but as with so many things, blah blah blah blah blah

Far too difficult to understand.

Trees are good, trees are good, whatevertrees are good. Think Shamen.

That’s better.

They aren’t interested in letting people enjoy the nature they are preserving.

Of course not. People turn up and walk all over their carefully managed bits of wild nature.

Not every statistic is a contest.

You’ll never make it as a politician.

They aren’t, they are the smug, take your dog for a dump in the woods charity

They aren’t interested in letting people enjoy the nature they are preserving.

IME they do an OK Job, when your priority and funding is towards restoring, planting and managing forests. IME they do access when funded to, but no more than they have to.

IME they do an OK Job, when your priority and funding is towards restoring, planting and managing forests. IME they do access when funded to, but no more than they have to.

They do access that suits their demographics, this explains why despite all the evidence of disruption to flora and fauna they promote their woods as dog toilets and keep other users out

They are the Daily Mail version of an environmental charity

AFAIK the word ‘forest’ originally meant ‘wild area’. So often full of trees in lowland Britain, but not in the uplands.

Places like Forest of Bowland, Milburn Forest or Fforest Fawr probably never had trees over most of them.

Hey Rusty_Spanner, please don’t confuse the New Forest with the rest of the South. As a Southerner I really don’t want to be lumped in with parochial detritus who hate and harm cyclists who dare enter into their fiefdom.

The Woodland Trust, and to a lesser extent the Wildlife Trust, are very closed, self serving charities that like to exclude those that aren’t like them

Its a tricky one.
They do have their “flagship” areas eg Heartwood Forest central in Sandridge which is about as artifical and intended for dogs to go and shit everywhere as possible. The “bluebell wood” with its ultra signed paths is rather despressing.
However some of the smaller woods are a lot better.
It would be nice if they did consider something other than just bimbblers round the wood though.

When I saw Michael Gove announce this as part of a “Green Brexit” I realised instantly it was a sham piece of misdirection to stop the Toby Young story rattling on in the media.

I was down in my local woods this morning walking the dog and spent 45 mins collecting bottles of echo falls summer berries and lambrini , the council are trying to hive it off to charity run organisation apparently to save them £4.50 a year on running costs. Cant see that stop the local toe rags spending winter nights chugging fizzy.

Anyhow, I digress…

Which was what a forest originally was in the UK.
It meant an area of land under forest law. Which is a bit tautological admittedly.
It was used for hunting areas by the King and I think a few select nobles also got areas. So was always a mix of woodland and open area to aid hunting.

Up to a point, Lord Copper.
http://www.worldwidewords.org/articles/forest.htm

There is no “wildlife Trust”. The wildlife trusts (plural) exist to manage local nature reserves.

However some of the smaller woods are a lot better.

In my local woods the Wildlife Trust’s main objective is to put up laminated signs telling you to keep out, a couple of boards telling you about wildlife you might see there and fences to keep you out. The Woodland Trust just put up fences in their neighbouring wood. No concept of “the countryside for all” at all.

cinnamon_girl – Member
Hey Rusty_Spanner, please don’t confuse the New Forest with the rest of the South. As a Southerner I really don’t want to be lumped in with parochial detritus who hate and harm cyclists who dare enter into their fiefdom.

Good Mash article CG, obviously written by a Northerner.
I was laughing at myself…..
🙂

Spent some time in the Forest of Dean this year CG, very pretty down there, lovely people too.
Very different to your lovely bit of the world, but just as beautiful.

In my local woods the Wildlife Trust’s main objective is to put up laminated signs telling you to keep out, a couple of boards telling you about wildlife you might see there and fences to keep you out. The Woodland Trust just put up fences in their neighbouring wood. No concept of “the countryside for all” at all

Unfortunately that’s the same story round my way too. The only things they seem to do well is build mile upon mile of fencing.

Imo any tree planting can only be good.
However where we live they are tearing down ancient woodland at an alarming pace. Then proudly telling locals that 1,000s of saplings will be planted in the next few years, all in the name of progress ( new road building). 🙄

Is it longterm hardwood leafy glade open woodland or intensely grown softwood with no place for people or light?