Seeing the forests for the trees

There are still a few things to resolve on birds of prey and their conservation.  But, I feel that, thanks to yesterday's announcement from the Minister, I can move on from buzzards and talk about something else.  That is a good thing.

Today I am helping celebrate the 50^th anniversary of the RSPBs fantastic Coombes Valley reserve in Staffordshire, which is a delightful oak woodland perfectly set up for enjoying our returning woodland migrants. This feels like a good opportunity to revisit another hot issue with the public - forests.

Woodland at Coombes Valley RSPB reserve. Staffords. Copyright: Andy Hay (rspb-images.com)

At the start of last year, forests, or more specifically public forests, were on everyone’s lips following Defra’s consultation about their future. I struggle to think of any other environmental issue that has prompted over half a million people to sign a petition and others to burn an effigy of Big Ben in the Forest of Dean, although perhaps buzzardgate was heading that way.  I wonder if David Cameron would consider this as “big society” in action?

The public reared up and told the government to back off, which is exactly what it did after just 3  weeks, with the abandonment of the consultation. I think this sums up just how important woods and forests are to everyone. Nevertheless, we are not out of the woods yet – excuse the pun.

Caroline Spelman subsequently set up an independent panel of experts to advise her on the future of forestry commission, the public forest estate and forestry policy in England. This is no longer just about the important 18% of public woods and forests, but also the other 82% in other ownerships.  This Panel includes my boss, Mike Clarke, in an independent capacity, and they aim to report on 4^th July. It is a huge job, and we await with interest their findings.

Is this just about who owns them?
For some people, yes - but for us it is also about much more than that. When you take a closer look at our woods and forests, regardless of who owns them, it is clear that simply fighting for status quo will cause us to lose our woodlands in a very different way.  Lesser spotted woodpeckers – common when I was young - but we have since lost three out of four pairs and they are now cripplingly rare.  Woodland wildlife is not in a good way, with 1 in 6 woodland flowers threatened with extinction, a 56% decline in woodland butterflies, the loss of 9 out of 10 pairs of willow tit, 78% of lesser redpoll, the list goes on and on......

What is the problem?
Contrary to popular belief, this is not a problem that will be solved by planting more trees. Although woodland expansion does have an important role to play, and we are fully behind it, the evidence points to another problem. The evidence is telling us that the condition of existing woods is where the greatest problem for much of our threatened wildlife lies. For centuries we have used woods for food, shelter and warmth. However, as this woodland management culture has declined, so have the varied woodland structures that wildlife need.

What do we want?
The RSPB’s vision is for England’s woodland to be a haven for wildlife, whilst helping meet the challenge of climate change, be economically productive, and available for people to explore and enjoy.

A future where:

• Government revaluates the way they value woods and forests, so that they are no longer solely measured in terms of the timber they produce or their land sale value. Their full value lies in the wildlife, access and ecosystem service benefits they can provide to society
• All woodlands are being appropriately and sustainably managed to provide rich and varied habitats to help reverse woodland wildlife declines.  
• New markets, smartly regulated, have emerged to support a thriving and truly green forest economy
• Woodland area is increasing sustainably to provide bigger, better and more joined up habitats for wildlife and local communities to enjoy, whilst contributing to climate change adaptation
• An equal effort to that directed at new planting has been applied to reversing the planting mistakes of the past, with the restoration of heaths, bogs and ancient woodlands once under plantation forestry. Read more about this here
• The Public Forest Estate is rededicated to the nation and becomes the epitome of what public land can deliver for society in the form of wildlife, access and natural heritage. 

What do others think?
The eyes of the nation, including ours, will be then be on the Government’s next move. A group that is also paying close attention is Our Forests who are an informal group of individuals with a shared set of core principles on the future of forestry. They have produced their own vision for the future of England’s woods and forests, which you can read here. I have and it is rather good.

Our views have much in common with this vision. For example, we both want increases in sustainable woodland management, the restoration of wildlife habitats damaged by plantation forestry, and increased woodland expansion. Although our emphasis on the latter would be further towards that of quality rather than quantity, as we are still fighting mistakes of past planting drives.  Although we have slightly different rationale, we both agree that status quo is not the way forward and something new, building on best bits of the old is needed to realise the fuller value of woods and forests for the nation.

Another excellent vision is from Plantlife, which you can see here.

Most importantly of all, what do you think?

Please do share your thoughts below. You can also submit your views direct to Our Forests’ on their vision here.