Monday 10 June 2013

Woodlands Matter!

Wood of Cree, Dumfries and Galloway

 As you will have noticed, particularly from my recent posts about our holiday in Dumfries and Galloway, I love woodlands and forests. They are beautiful places to relax and offer wonderful habitats for birds and other wildlife. Trees and woods also provide real value for money and help meet many policy challenges, from health to housing to the economy, just by being them.

So therefore it's vital to ensure that the UKs woodlands don't face cuts in the next UK Government Spending Review.

Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander MP has a lot of difficult choices to make in the upcoming Spending Review. 

We need to make sure that woodlands and trees don't suffer from severe cuts - last year they were faced with a 30% overall reduction. The settlement DEFRA (the Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs) receives in the Spending Review includes funds to enable the Forestry Commission to provide grants for woodland expansion and management. These grants ensure, for example, that adequate funding is in place for the 5,000ha per year of planting that the Government has identified as necessary to achieve its goal of 12% woodland cover by 2060 (we are currently at 10%, one of the least wooded countries in Europe!). It also pays for vital research and continues the fight against tree diseases.

In their latest campaign, the Woodland Trust have created a play on the iconic banknote for supporters to send to the Treasury, as a reminder of the enormous return we reap when we choose to invest in trees, woods and forests. You can send your note via email or download a copy to post it straight to the Treasury today! Take action here.

The Spending Review will be announced on June 26th.

As ever, red text contains hyperlinks that take you to other webpages where you can find out more. 

9 comments:

Tommaso Gervasutti said...

Great information, great post and as ever beautiful photo.
I love Woods, I have found out an old poem on them, I'll dedicate it to your post.

EG CameraGirl said...

OH dear! Sounds like your government is trying to save money the same way as the Canadian gov't! I fear their vision is way too narrow!

eileeninmd said...

I feel the same way about the woods & forest. I do not like to see any kind of tree cutting. Great post and a pretty photo.

Bill said...

more than one way
to cut a tree –
spending review

An eloquent rallying cry, Julie.

Bill said...

I think my keyboard just called you "Julie." Please forgive it.

Rambling Woods said...

It is so important to post this info.... Michelle

RG said...

Let's get that last 2%!

The poem might be The Portugese Prayer of the Woods?

Little Miss Titch said...

love the photo and thanks for the info

Dartford Warbler said...

I will follow up the Woodlands Trust action. Thank you for the link. It is so important to stand up for woodland in our increasingly urbanised world.