P-05-945 The Climate Emergency and a National Forest for Wales
P-05-945 The Climate Emergency and a National Forest for Wales
P-05-945 The
Climate Emergency and a National Forest for Wales
This
petition was submitted by Coed Cadw - The Woodland Trust in Wales having
collected a total of 4,354 signatures.
Text of Petition
We call on the National
Assembly for Wales to urge the Welsh Government to urgently increase tree cover
to help address this climate emergency & the well documented collapse of
nature.
The Welsh Government's 'State of Natural Resources Report' said no ecosystems
in Wales are resilient.
We need more trees in urban & rural areas to address high levels of air
pollution, lessen heatwaves & floods, increase wildlife & create a
carbon store above & below ground.
Rivers, hedgerows & verges can provide quality habitat connectivity, these
criss-cross Wales from mountains to coast. Many have biodiversity rich
ancient woods, meadows & marshes alongside them, but their range &
quality has massively declined in the last 50 years.
Our rivers are healthiest when bordered by wide strips of lightly grazed
broadleaf woodland river banks. Trees provide some dappled shade keeping rivers
cool & protecting them from pollutants, reducing unsustainable soil loss,
whilst helping to keep farmers on the land.
To help nature recover we need to recreate more wildlife friendly landscapes by
creating more & healthier interconnecting habitats.
Placed & funded correctly, a new national forest can deliver many solutions
for all future generations, a more 'resilient Wales'.
We call for a comprehensive strategy to deliver:
- an increase of 5000
hectares per year in tree cover in urban areas, on farms, & in the
uplands
- tree cover that is at
least 50% native broadleaf trees, best for biodiversity, & public
well-being
- sustainable
management of existing trees, forests, woodland & hedges, to protect
them from damage & provide a mixed mosaic of habitat for
wildlife & people
- new funding for
farmers for 'Hedges & Edges' & traditional woodland pasture
-agroforestry
- funding for community
tree nurseries, for people to be involved in finding sites, planting,
& growing trees right across Wales
- a truly national
& innovative 'National Forest for Wales'
Additional Information
References
Climate Emergency: https://gov.wales/written-statement-welsh-government-declares-climate-emergency
State of Natural Resources
Report: https://cdn.naturalresources.wales/media/682366/sonarr-summary-september-2016-edited-august-2017.pdf
A Resilient Wales: https://futuregenerations.wales/aotp/resilience/
Bordered by wide strips of
lightly grazed broadleaf woodland:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/281902234_Beyond_cool_Adapting_upland_streams_for_climate_change_using_riparian_woodlands
Community tree nurseries https://www.longforest.cymru/news/community-tree-nurseries-guest-blog
Agroforestry: combining agriculture
& trees https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/2018/07/agroforestry-wales/
Glossary
Biodiversity: the variety of life
found on earth. It includes all species of plants & animals, their
abundance & genetic diversity
Ecosystem resilience: means how well
ecosystems can deal with disturbances - either by resisting them, recovering
from them, or adapting to them. Resilient ecosystems are able to carry on
delivering services & benefits despite these disturbances.
Habitat: the natural home or
environment of an animal, plant, or other organism
Habitat connectivity: how patches of habitat
are linked together to form a connected habitat network that allows species to
interact & move.
Hedges & Edges: the habitats that make
up hedges, tree lines, verges, river & stream margins, ditches, stone walls
& other boundaries
Public Goods: commodities or service
that is provided without profit to all members of a society, either by the
government or by a private individual or organisation
Tree Cover: the area that is shaded
by the canopies of trees & shrubs
Status
This petition was considered completed by the Petitions Committee at its meeting on 17/11/2020.
The Committee considered an update on the petition and, in light of the further information received about the ongoing development of the National Forest in Wales concept and the petitioners’ involvement in the Woodland Strategy Advisory Panel, agreed to thank the petitioner and close the petition.
Full details of the consideration of this petitions by the
committee and related documents can be seen on the Meetings tab above.
It was first considered by the Petitions Committee on 10/03/2020.
Assembly Constituency and
Region
- Cardiff West
- South Wales Central
Further
information
Business type: Petition
Reason considered: Senedd Business;
Status: Complete
First published: 02/03/2020