Date of the report
July 2011
Author of the report
Environment Agency and Forestry Commission
Purpose of the report
To present evidence which will help promote effective woodland planning and be part of the solution to achieving good water status. It is timely, as it follows on from the establishment of the Woodland Carbon Task Force which aims to realise Government’s desire for increased woodland planting in England to help meet greenhouse gas emissions reduction commitments. Similarly, in Wales, the recently announced Glastir scheme provides additional incentive for woodland creation.
This review considers the key issues relating to the use of woodland measures for meeting Water Framework Directive (WFD) objectives. It focuses on native woodland creation, but also considers the impact of new conifer woodlands and bioenergy plantations in light of climate change and renewable energy policies. This is a summary of the final report from Forest Research to the Environment Agency and Forestry Commission (England) – an in-depth scientific review undertaken by Forest Research and ADAS UK Ltd, which is available from Forest Research.
Relevance to the region
This report is very relevant to the West Midlands, particularly with the importance of the Water Framework Directive and the need for organisations to understand this and make allowances.
What SWM liked
We like the positive focus of this report as it suggests the benefits of well planned and managed woodlands to the local and global environment and remind us how important woodland is and the need to increase its prominence across the UK.
Links and contact information
In July 2012, the Woodland Creation Grant was set up to support the establishment of new woodlands that meet government priorities. To qualify for this grant the application and subsequent activities must meet the standards of environmental protection and practice set out in the UK Forestry Standard and its supporting guidelines. For more information, please visit the UK Forestry Commission website.
