Speaking in the Senedd Chamber yesterday, North Wales MS raised a Flintshire constituent’s concern that the Welsh Government’s ‘My Tree, Our Forest’ scheme is seeing trees planted too close together to develop properly.
Questioning the Minister for Climate Change, Mr Isherwood, who is Wales Species Champion for the Curlew, also made fresh calls for the Welsh Government’s target for woodland planting to take account of the fact that woodlands provide an ideal habitat for the apex predators which target Curlew nests and chicks. In January, he raised the issue with the Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales.
Speaking in the Senedd Chamber, he said:
“There is widespread support for plans for a National Forest for Wales, a vast network of woods and forests across the nation, open for everyone to explore and enjoy. However, woodland continues to be seen as a public good, even when it provides an ideal habitat for apex predators whose predation of nests and chicks is a primary cause of, for example, Curlew breeding failure.
“What specific action, therefore, are you taking to ensure that the Welsh Government's target for woodland planting in Wales takes further account of this, which is central to nature recovery?
“Further, how are you addressing concerns raised with me by a Flintshire constituent that your ‘My Tree, Our Forest’ scheme is seeing trees planted too close to each other with very little, if any, space for them to develop properly; and, finally, by the Country Land and Business Association ((CLA) Cymru that the planting of new trees should be accompanied by a tree health strategy, to support those who manage woodland in removing diseased specimens promptly and replacing them, in order to reduce the spread of disease, when we have a crisis in ash and larch and emerging issues in oak?”
In her response, the Minister said:
“We are restoring an enormous amount of natural peatland. Clearly, that should not be forest. Species-rich open meadows should not be forests. Where there should be forests, though, we are woefully behind, so we do need to restock, and we need to restock quickly, but the right tree in the right place.
“In terms of the ‘My Tree, Our Forest’ initiative, each tree comes with a programme to help you understand how and where to plant it and what it should look like at various stages; a wealth of expertise is available via Coed Cymru to help people and, of course, we will also plant your tree somewhere else for you if you're not lucky enough to have a garden capable of having it. It's been a very popular programme.”
ENDS