The All Party Parliamentary Group on Forestry and Tree Planting recently met, with a Q&A session with England's forestry minister, Trudy Harrison, among the highlights. 

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Question: “Would you agree that you need to give UK business reassurance that their future timber supply will be secure?”
Answer, Forestry Minister Trudy Harrison: “Absolutely. Focusing on areas where trees are valued and people appreciate the jobs and understand the social and cultural ecosystem, we absolutely need to support that supply chain. I don’t know how to send a stronger message from government that we back everything you are setting out to do.”

Q: “You want to axe the time it takes to plant a tree. What needs to be done to speed it up?”
A, FM TH: “In areas of lower risk (socially, culturally, environmentally), and working with trusted partners, we can have a presumption to plant.”

Q: “Kielder is replacing huge areas of conifer with broadleaf. Would you consider a specific target for producing amounts of timber for the future within that 16.5 per cent target (with the FC, FE and NP’s on board to achieve that overall target) as well?”

Forestry Journal: Kielder Forest Kielder Forest

A: “Yes, I would consider it. I advocate the need for productive forestry. But, define productive; do we need also hardwoods for future construction? We haven’t an approach for ‘Timber in Construction’ yet. Without knowing the endgame (how many timber tonnes needed for construction, pallets and other), we don’t know what the target should be. For sector, nursery, landowner and land manager certainty, a percentage would be helpful.”
Comment, Guy Opperman: “Kielder was planted because the state stepped in. There has to be some degree of state action. In terms of planting and forestry in the appropriate place, some needs to be productive.”
A, FM TH: “We are pumping millions into funding tree planting, through grants and ELMS (Countryside Stewardship, Sustainable Farming Incentive, Landscape Recovery (agroforestry, generational change is taking time). Without the National Parks on board, it will be difficult.”

Q: “New plantings attract carbon credits. What about undermanaged woodlands?”
A, FM TH: “It’s a problem. We always want to put money into new things, rarely into maintaining things.””

Q: “I have to justify a £65m [timber] ‘hub’ (James Jones) in a rural area where lots of jobs are needed. I read forecasts of a net drop in commercial areas being planted. A National Park in Northumberland is removing 2,000 ha of commercial forestry within 40 miles of Egger and us. Budget support on investment and LEPs is a far cry from the support received in Australia and other areas, where Egger and others invest. We need to expand our business. But we won’t if commercial forestry is in decline, certainly not in a hardwood sawmill, a conifer sawmill maybe. We need action on new planting, but also to protect the forestry area we have now.”
A, FM TH: “Put yourself in my shoes, what are you looking for?”

Forestry Journal: A stock image of a conifer plantation in Scotland A stock image of a conifer plantation in Scotland (Image: PR)

A, “Stop removing areas of conifer. In Scotland, wind farms are replacing forestry. In England, National Parks are removing it. You push through planning in areas where it is against all policies. Put a priority on commercial trees.”
A, FM TH: “Our ‘Land-use Framework’ (published late 2023) will help. The protection you are looking for might be set out in that.”

Q: “If new plantings get past the squirrels and deer, much of what comes out is still woodfuel. What is government messaging around woodfuel?”
A, FM TH: “We will not ban the burning of wood in residential properties. We have a Grey Squirrel Action Plan and are looking at how to roll out immuno-contraception. We have a Deer Management Action Plan and I want venison on more menus, changing the perception of it being a ‘posh’ meat. It is actually relatively affordable, low fat and high in protein.”