England Asks For Public Input on Massive Reforestation Effort

Georgette Kilgore headshot, wearing 8 Billion Trees shirt with forest in the background.Written by Georgette Kilgore

Eco-News | January 10, 2024

As the movement to reforest areas that have been cleared from centuries of use increases, England is seeking the public’s input on how and where millions of new trees should be planted.

The BBC reported that ministers have launched a consultation to explore ways of reaching their ambitious goal of covering 30,000 hectares each year, by the year 2025.

That boils down to 30 million new trees every year.

The Forestry Commission explained that it wanted to ensure “the right tree is planted in the right place for the right reason.”

While politicians argued back and forth concerning the primary focus of the project, the government decided to talk to actual landowners about how to reach the goal, indicating a new tree strategy could be forthcoming later in the year.

The consultation will seek to identify:

  • How to increase planting to combat climate change across the globe.
  • Ways to improve protection and management of existing forest areas.
  • Improve the way people connect with nature for increased wellbeing.
  • Methods to increase the ways trees can act for economic support.

The 12-week process will also include a number of incentives, in order to increase urban area woodlands.

Sir William Worsley, the government’s former National Tree Champion, explained, “The England Tree Strategy will set out how we plan to accelerate woodland creation, but also importantly how to manage and protect the trees we already have.”

All things considered, the UK goal is to double its tree cover as an integral step in achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.

You can also contribute to this effort by finding your current carbon emissions with an ecological footprint calculator and then partnering with one of the top carbon offset providers conducting tree planting offset programs.