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Memorandum from the National Forest Company (TNF 04)
Executive Summary p2
The purpose of The National Forest p2
Environmental, economic, and social achievements p3
Opportunities and challenges to 2014 and beyond p7
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
o The National Forest is a
demonstration for the nation of all the benefits of multi-purpose forestry. o It achieves against
environmental, economic and social objectives. o Its exemplar role spans sustainable
development, policy influence, European landscape leadership and being a
testbed for forestry and climate change. o Forest creation continues
through a range of complementary mechanisms. o Management of the woodlands,
public engagement and communication about the o It is a long-term example of
carbon absorption and has a leading role in testing new mechanisms for
tree-planting for combatting climate change. o It faces a range of challenges
as the 1. THE PURPOSE OF THE NATIONAL FOREST
1.1 Original idea
1.2 The idea originated in the late 1980s from the Countryside Commission and the then Conservative Government. A new forest for the nation was to be established demonstrating all the benefits of multi-purpose forestry.
1.3 A competition was held and various options
in the
1.4 The development of The National Forest soon gained cross-party support.
1.5 The
1.6 The National Forest is a largescale and long-term regeneration project, led by landscape change and forestry. It is unique in combining the forestry focus of the Forestry Commission, the biodiversity and landscape aims of Natural England and the community, economic, cultural and development features of major regeneration schemes.
2. Objectives of a multipurpose forest for the nation
2.1 Woodland
cover at the outset was at about 6% and the aim is for around a third of the
area to be converted to
2.2 The National Forest is funded by central Government as an exemplar project for the country, with opportunities for all to learn from it.
3. ENVIRONMENTAL, ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL ACHIEVEMENTS
3.1 The National Forest is a sustainable development,
rather than a pure forestry, project. Appropriate forestry, with well-managed
woodlands into the future, is its spine and 'licence to operate': its success
is then measured by how forestry is used to deliver both national policy
objectives, (sustainable communities and climate change mitigation and
adaptation amongst them) and local aspirations across economic and social, as
well as environmental dimensions. In 2008, The National Forest won the
Sustainable Development UK award for the transformation of the central area of
the Heart of the
3.2 Environmental
3.3 Landscape-scale change
3.4 Woodland management, fossil fuel
substitution and climate change A
long-term approach is being taken to establishing a woodland management culture
in the 3.5 It is estimated that the potential woodfuel
resource is sufficient to supply up to 32 100kw. systems in 2012 and 75 in 2032. The
focus is now on making the woodfuel and wood products demand and supply develop
together, across the diverse woodlands of the
3.6 Conservation and heritage habitat As woodland coverage has continued to increase, in demanding market conditions, at the same time, in the last five years, 452ha of conservation and heritage habitat have been created or brought into management.
3.7 Economic
3.8 Economic investment and woodland economy The tourism
economy is now worth over £270m a year and over 4,000 people are engaged in the
industry; over
250 jobs have been created/safeguarded through forestry, farm diversification
to forest uses and woodland businesses since 1995. 3.9 Forest Creation through mineral and development and planning gain Some 20% of The National Forest has been created through mineral and development planning gain. The National Forest will continue to work with the grain of the economic regeneration of the area, ensuring green benefit from extraction industries and growth.
3.10 Social
3.11 Access 85% of sites are publicly accessible and in the
last five years alone, 1,731ha of fully open sites have been created. With 10m
people living within an hour and a half of The National Forest, many of its
walkers and users are from urban areas and complement, in their diversity, the resident
population, which often appreciates The National Forest in terms of the local wood,
on the doorstep. 3.12 Community involvement and support: 86% of respondees to community perceptions research
said in 2008 that The National Forest has improved the local environment whilst
84% rated the standard of major sites as good or very good. 40,000 children
participate in environmental visits to the Forest annually and partners deliver
a wide range of innovative means of engaging people in the
3.13 National Exemplar role
3.14 Policy influence This is across a number of policy areas as evidenced in this memorandum, including but not restricted to PSA 28, for a healthy natural environment. One recent example is securing a joint commitment across local authorities to 30% green infrastructure for all developments exceeding 10ha, particularly to meet the needs of sustainable urban extensions.
3.15 National status The National Forest is one of the first three organisations
in the 3.16 Climate change testbed The National Forest Company works
with businesses wanting to reduce their carbon footprint.. It is participating in a long term
national research project with Forest Research, on species adaptation.
4.
4.1
The
National Forest Company has always innovated to keep creating the
4.2 To achieve the demanding annual target, a range of approaches is used.
4.3 The main grant mechanism is the Changing Landscapes Scheme, introduced in 2008 as a successor to the Tender Scheme. It funds 100% of costs, on the basis that there is ecological and public benefit, no element of co-financing and that it delivers landscape, recreation and community involvement. In its first full year it has proved an attractive option with participating landowners, delivering 57.7ha. However, the average application size to date has been 7.2ha, suggesting that market conditions are such that big sites are less likely to come forward quickly.
4.4 The National Forest Company also acquires land for forest creation. It identifies a long-term strategy for each acquisition, often disposal, but it may hold up to 300ha at any one time, which includes land needed for business sponsorship. The indicative target for acquisition in 2009 / 2010 is 70ha. The majority of woodlands and the larger part of The National Forest therefore remain in private ownership. Partners such as the Forestry Commission have been less able than previously to joint fund acquisitions, but this intention is retained in the Concordat between NFC and FC. FC and other partners such as the Woodland Trust and Wildlife Trusts remain important owners of sites passed on after acquisition by The National Forest, for management and development.
4.5 Alongside land acquisition and CLS, the National Forest Company also offers a cost-effective approach to a wide range of small scale schemes: small woodlands, free to the landowner, high quality urban landscaping, community amenity planting, planting through planning and minerals and parkland, sometimes as part of other schemes such as higher level stewardship.
4.6 In
summary, the NFC has a number of complementary approaches to achieve its annual
target. The larger part of its grant in aid goes into funding
4.7 Forest creation and partnership working
4.8 Whilst
the NFC funds forest creation schemes, it relies on the Forestry Commission in the
consultation process on CLS applications and on Natural England in ensuring
synergies with stewardship schemes and cross compliance. Contractors and agents
are also vital to
4.9
4.10 Planting is
increasingly complemented by trails and connected paths. In the Heart of the
Forest area, where the transformation has been most dramatic, reclaimed land
has been opened up, with a five mile circuit, increased signage and a range of
sites, some more on the 'wild side' than others, to satisfy a range of demands.
There will be an ever stronger focus on ensuring that as wide a range of people
as possible access the
4.11 To create biodiversity and
access benefit on a large scale, the National Forest Company is pioneering
software to evidence where to target
4.12 Forest creation and management
4.13 Increasingly, a coherent approach to management across all the woodland is seen by NFC as the other dimension of forest creation. A Woodland Owners' Club, links with contractors and the use of contracts are all important tools in achieving this.
4.14 Forest creation and non-public sponsorship
4.15 The Read Report on the
role of UK Forests in Combatting Climate Change stated that 10% of carbon emissions in 2050 could be
locked up through 23000ha pa planting across the
4.16 No extra public funds have been identified to support the extra planting involved; however the likely non public sources include charities, corporates, individuals and planning gain.
4.17 Given The National Forest's experience to date of planting through the private sector, with the aim of carbon abatement if not formal offsetting, it is well-placed to test new mechanisms which Government hopes to develop to achieve increased planting and net carbon reductions.
5. Summary: opportunities and challenges to 2014 and beyond
5.1 Continuing to create The National Forest At 18% cover, there is still a long way to go to reach a coherent, forested landscape and maximise its benefits. Food production, housing growth and the long term nature of predicted further reclamation will all create challenges in maintaining momentum. Quality landscape change is the shared focus of NFC and partners: the investment to date must not be jeopardised in this next stage, particularly as growth is resumed.
5.2 Continued Government funding to enable 200 - 250ha pa is the essential to enable steady progress towards a third woodland cover with 'the right trees (and other habitats) in the right place'.
5.3 Making the most of what we have created Clearly, as a bigger green asset is created each year, the means to manage it and make the most of it are critical. Further capital investment, led by the private sector, is also required. The National Forest Company has a key role over the next decade in catalysing and co-ordinating this, particularly given constraints on public sector investment.
5.4 Communities are at the heart of everything Public support for and involvement in The National Forest is very strong, as described above. However, there is no room for complacency given a constantly changing population. More and more needs to be done to ensure that woodlands have the appropriate involvement of all those beyond NFC who can look after them in perpetuity.
5.5 Telling the story One comment from consultation on the Delivery Plan to 2014 was that the 'gameplan' for The National Forest needs to continue to be clearly stated. Telling the story to a varied audience is challenging for a small company but the NFC does work with local authorities and voluntary organisations to ensure that the 200,000 residents of the Forest are as aware as is possible of the Forest 'on their doorstep'.
5.6 Long-term governance and organisation
The
National Forest Company is an efficient means of driving what is a complex and
long-term area-based project: in 2008/9, grant in aid from Defra was £3.6m and
leverage of non GIA income was £750,000, which does not include other
investment to partners within the
Stability
in governance and organisation continues to reap benefits in delivery. However,
the NFC has always been forward-looking and it is active in considering the
long-term mechanisms most likely to guarantee the legacy of the
Dinah Nichols Chair, National Forest Company
January 2010
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