22 AUGUST 2019 FORESTRYJOURNAL.CO.UK
NEWS
LATEST UPDATE FROM THE GLOBAL FORESTRY INDUSTRY
TONY Juniper is a veteran environmental
campaigner and was once a Green Party
candidate, but the new chair of Natural
England could also be a friend of the
forester. After years of perhaps being
on ‘the other side’, he now believes that
more collaboration between foresters,
conservationists and environmentalists is
needed.
He spoke recently at the Institute of
Chartered Foresters’ National Conference
in Oxford, and said that the modern debate
is moving towards collaboration to deal
with global issues on an unprecedented
scale relating to carbon capture,
communities, ecosystems, flood risk and
how to deal with a global lack of forest
cover.
“It is going to be important for
foresters to blend forest ecosystems
with landscapes that are also providing
food. There is now an even broader
set of contacts between forestry and
conservation,” he told delegates.
He gave the example of Thetford Forest
in East Anglia, where forestry is being
managed with environmental protection
and social benefit programmes to restore
ancient woodland and seed-bank recovery
of oak habitat while growing trees for
timber production.
“This is the kind of integrated approach
that can lead to different kinds of decision-
making that results in the idea of balance,”
Tony explained, adding that while we
need wood as a raw material, we ought
to look beyond in terms of resources
being balanced with biodiversity, carbon
capture, rural livelihoods, job creation
and public health.
In an interview after his speech,
Tony expanded on his views.
Although he was talking before
taking up his new position
with Natural England, his
thoughts on forestry are
likely to be pertinent at a
governmental level as the
role of trees becomes more important in
terms of reaching climate change targets.
The Committee on Climate Change,
the UK Government’s official advisor on
climate change, has recommended that up
to three billion trees need to be planted
by 2050; that a fifth of farmland should
be turned into forest, peatland or used
for biomass crops; and 200,000 miles of
hedgerows need to be grown.
The latest global assessment report from
the United Nations has warned that global
warming is threatening the planet on an
unprecedented scale and that land-use
change is the primary driver behind a
steep decline in biodiversity and nature.
This includes the replacement of grassland
with intensive crops, of ancient woodland
with plantation forests and the clearing of
forests to grow crops.
Tony said he believes that the future
of forestry has to be about forests: “For
decades there has been a clash, but we
are seeing a change in terms of trees
and production, seeing that there’s a
much bigger picture and that needs
collaboration.”
“People have different value sets. Some
see forests as a wildlife habitat, as a
carbon store, or as a source of wood. The
answer is having the right trees in the right
place, an integrated approach, not just in
terms of ecosystems, but in production
too. Forestry should be the most attractive
profession in the world, caring about the
future and the big environmental changes,
and the ICF can take a lead,” he added.
Members of the Institute of Foresters
are already working with woodland
owners and landowners to help them
develop innovative low-carbon practices.
“Planting trees and managing our existing
forests are universally regarded as
significant in the fight to capture carbon,
and professionals foresters will be
needed to help reach ambitious climate
change targets set by the Government,”
said Shireen Chambers, the Institute’s
executive director.
“Our forests and woodlands are
already making a difference in the
UK but much more needs to be
done. Government departments will
need to consult with the profession
to ensure landowners, local
authorities, developers and
farmers make tree planting
a part of their sustainable
business plans. This work
now needs to be escalated if
this target is to be realistic,”
she added.(This article was first published
in the Institute of Chartered
Foresters’ magazine Chartered
Forester, July 2019 edition.)Let’s end
the clash
of cultures
FORESTRY
ENGLAND IS
CALLING OUT FOR
ELUSIVE LONG-
EARED OWLS
NEW surveys are underway in the
south-west of England to study long-
eared owl populations.
It has been a decade since the
UK’s rarest breeding owl species
was last studied in this area and
their numbers are thought to have
declined significantly in the past
century. Now, Forestry England
and the Hawk and Owl Trust are
carrying out a major survey of the
birds across Somerset, Devon and
Cornwall.
In a repeat of a 2009 survey, the
project aims to give land managers
a better understanding of the
long-eared owl’s distribution, as
well as allowing experts to monitor
other nocturnal birds. The survey
technique involves identifying
potential nesting areas in each
location, playing out long-eared owl
calls – both male and female – over
loud speakers for a minute, then
listening in silence for a further
minute for their calls back.
So far, the survey has recorded
winter calling at three sites, but
suitable habitat was recorded
at many more. All locations will
be revisited during the summer
to search for signs of breeding
success.