Tree care and planting in the church and heritage sector

According to a report in The Independant the UK will have to plant 1.5 billion trees if it is to tackle climate change. The London Tree Officers Association has this to say on the subject: "Future Governments are committed to planting trees to reduce carbon emissions, however there is concern that some of these proposals are focussed on a rapid increase without considering the intricate steps that are required to ensure that trees establish and thrive and it is important that this is made clear to avoid good intentions resulting in failure."

Professional advice and expertise needs to be sought and implemented.

To start the programme, Defra recently announced £50m available to farmers and land managers to create new woodlands to help tackle the effects of climate change.

Woodlands and forests are vital in the fight against climate change and the scheme will help boost planting rates.

Scheme gives land managers the option to sell Woodland Carbon Units to the government at a guaranteed price which is protected against inflation.

The government launched a £50 million scheme to help boost tree-planting rates in the fight against climate change.

The new Woodland Carbon Guarantee will encourage farmers and landowners to plant more trees and create new woodland in return for payments as those trees grow.

It gives land managers in England the long-term financial income they need to invest in carbon sequestration - the process by which trees lock up and store carbon from the atmosphere.

Successful participants will be offered the option to sell Woodland Carbon Units to the government over 35 years at a guaranteed price set by auction, providing new income for land managers who help businesses compensate for their carbon emissions.

Forestry and Climate Adaption Minister Zac Goldsmith said:

“Woodland creation is an excellent way to help combat the effects of climate change.

“By supporting farmers and land managers who decide to invest in tree-planting, we are making sure we tackle climate change through nature-based solutions and – as part of our 25 Year Environment Plan - help leave the environment in a better state than we found it.

“The Woodland Carbon Guarantee means that now – more than ever – there is no reason to delay planting trees.”

Trees are a precious natural asset and, as a natural carbon sink, are a vital part of the fight against climate change. Woodlands and forests will play an important role in the UK’s efforts to hit net zero carbon emissions by 2050, which is why the government is committed to planting 11 million trees by 2022. Funding for this scheme was announced by HM Treasury in the 2018 Autumn Budget.

By planting more trees and creating new woodland, land managers also provide a range of other ecosystem benefits such as preventing flood risk, soil conservation and boosting biodiversity.

Sir Harry Studholme, Chair of the Forestry Commission, said:

“The Woodland Carbon Guarantee is an innovative new financial incentive for the mitigation of carbon dioxide emissions. By underpinning the carbon price I hope it will give confidence to landowners and investors, and encourage the planting of the right kind of trees at a viable scale. I am delighted that the Forestry Commission has been able to work with Defra to launch the scheme.

“Creating more woodland is vital in the fight against climate change, and the Guarantee provides land managers with long-term certainty of a guaranteed payment rate for carbon, which their trees lock up and store.

“I urge all land managers and owners thinking about planting to look at the scheme and apply for the Woodland Carbon Guarantee ahead of the first auction which will be held early next year.”

Government-appointed Tree Champion Sir William Worsley said:

“Land managers across the country can support me in my role as Tree Champion by tapping into the environmental and economic benefits of planting more trees.

“The Woodland Carbon Guarantee provides an exciting opportunity for land managers to be rewarded for enhancing the environment on a sustained long-term basis.

“The role trees play in combating climate change cannot be underestimated and by applying to the Guarantee you will also play a crucial role in helping with the UK’s efforts to hit Net Zero carbon emissions by 2050.”

To apply for the Woodland Carbon Guarantee, land managers need to register their projects with the Woodland Carbon Code – the voluntary standard for UK woodland creation projects where claims are made about the carbon dioxide they sequester.

To apply for the Guarantee visit www.gov.uk/guidance/woodland-carbon-guarantee

You can find a tree expert in your area in our online directory here.

Stockport tree surgeon faces a challenge at Mellor Church

Stockport’s local tree surgeons, Myers Tree Care, are often presented with an unusual challenge. On this occasion, they were approached by the bell ringers of St Thomas’s Church at Mellor to see if they could assist in the scheduled maintenance of the clock face.

As a school governor at Mellor School, tree surgeon David Myers was teamed up with the headmaster, Jim Nicholson, and between them took on the challenge with both hands!

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Hinowa spider ‘vital’ to clear trees laying siege to castle

Tree surgeons have become kings of the castle after taking delivery from Access Platform Sales of a Hinowa Lightlift 17.75 Performance IIIS spider platform.

That’s because their first project for the exceptional tracked boom lift has been to clear diseased ash trees from around a Welsh medieval castle.

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