10 AUGUST 2019 FORESTRYJOURNAL.CO.UK
NEWS
LATEST UPDATE FROM THE GLOBAL FORESTRY INDUSTRY
THE Isle of Man Government has pledged to plant 85,
trees – one for every resident on the island – by 2024.
The five-year strategy was recently announced by the Chief
Minister at the 40th anniversary of the Isle of Man Arboretum.
The Isle of Man Government is committed to reaching
net zero carbon emissions by 2050 and the plans to plant
85,000 trees aim to help offset the island’s CO2 emissions.
In addition, a further 1,000 trees will be planted in urban
areas.
Commissioners, businesses and local residents will be
asked to identify areas that could benefit from additional
trees, and businesses will be invited to sponsor the planting
of some of the areas of woodlands.
This year the Isle of Man Government declared a climatechange emergency and stated that a Climate Change Bill
would be introduced to the branches in the next legislative
year.
Chief Minister Howard Quayle MHK said: “This woodland
will be an area truly belonging to the public, with a tree for
each resident. Our vision is to have more woodlands and
trees than the Island has had for more than a generation by- This strategy will tie in with a number of government
strategies and reflects our commitment to taking immediate
action on climate change ahead of the Bill coming into the
branches next legislative year.”
The tree planting strategy outlines plans for one woodland
made up of 85,000 trees that will cover approximately 150
acres.
FORESTRY minister, David Rutley MP,
recently visited Northumberland to explore
tree planting opportunities in the region.
The minister met with Confor delegates
aiming to improve low tree planting rates
south of the Border, hearing first hand about
the barriers faced by landowners looking to
plant trees.
He began with a tour of the Egger Sawmill
in Hexham, followed by a round-table
discussion on the forthcoming tree strategy
and a meeting with Northumberland
National Park.
During his morning visit to Egger, the
forestry minister said: “Tree planting is
increasingly recognised as an effective way
to reduce net emissions and respond to the
climate emergency. Forests are not only a
carbon sink, but help with preventing the
erosion of soils, and reducing flood risks,
whilst also providing us with fantastic
recreational spaces. A great example of this
is Kielder Forest. I strongly believe that we
must raise our level of ambition and plant
more trees: we need to go a lot further and I
see Northumberland playing an integral part
in this.”
John Paterson, director of Egger Forestry,
added: “We were delighted to have the
Minister visit our plant where we were able
to show him the manufacturing process and
range of panel-based products produced
in Hexham. Northumberland is a fantastic
location for afforestation and we lookforward to further discussion on the future
of large-scale planting opportunities. Egger
makes a considerable contribution to both
the local and national economy and as a
company we are encouraged by the initial
steps taken recently in terms of woodland
creation targets, which will be a key
component for promoting confidence for this
domestic industry in the years ahead.”
In the afternoon, the minister visited
Wallshield Farm near Haltwhistle, where he
met farmer and forestry manager of David
& Robertson, Iain Kyle, who provided an
overview of the practical issues faced with
getting tree planting schemes – highlighting
how much simpler the process is in
Scotland, as well as discussing diversity of
species planted.
He said: “At Davidson & Robertson
around 70% of our woodland planting and
management work is in Scotland, but with
less English red tape we’re looking forward
to that changing. Anything that can make
it easier will make tree planting more
appealing in England.
“We have a Cumbrian client with a large
tree planting proposal in the pipeline and
we’re proactively dealing with the issues,
but unnecessary complexities stifle and
slow the process down. I hope today is
a springboard to develop a process in
England that encourages us to plant a
greater number of trees – and more diverse
species.”
The minister concluded: “Confor in
Northumberland has an encouraging sense
of purpose and today’s visit is made even
better by coming out on the ground. Talking
to Iain, he has a positive attitude and a can-
do approach, looking at the challenges as
opportunities in a very practical way and
looking for lessons to improve rather than
just seeing problems. Planting alongside
farming for sustainable income, his story is
an excellent case study.”Forestry minister makes
Northumberland visit
MANX GOVERNMENT MAKES TREE PLANTING PLEDGE
David Rutley MP
(left) with Iain Kyle.