News from the gardening world
New initiatives aim to boost tree planting and phase out peat use in horticulture, reports Ian Hodgson
Significant moves to help tackle the global environmental crisis have been unveiled by government this week. Measures include initiatives designed to ramp-up tree planting, particularly in towns and cities, and to finally phase out the use of peat in horticulture and garden products in the UK. Both are key objectives designed to illustrate the UK’s commitment to the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD) in the run up to the UN Climate Change Conference to be held in Glasgow in November.
Moves will see gardeners and the public consulted on the phasing out of peat in composts and horticultural products this summer, while millions of pounds is being made available for UK nurseries to bolster the production of home-grown tree stock to help meet the enhanced demand and reducing dependency on imports.
The new measures announced by Secretary of State George Eustice sees publication of the England Tree Action Plan, which identifies how the country can secure the environmental and cultural benefits of healthy trees for future generations. Meanwhile, the England Peat Action Plan sets out a strategic framework to improve the management and protection of both upland and lowland peatlands as England’s largest terrestrial carbon store.
Action plan
The government aims to treble tree planting rates in England, boosting the country’s contribution to meeting the UK’s overall target of planting 30,000 hectares per year. Besides launching a major new tree planting grant, a Woodland Resilience Implementation Plan will aim to improve the ecological condition of woodlands and increase their resilience to climate change, pests and disease. To help industry meet burgeoning demand for trees, nurseries can take advantage of up to £21m of additional funding to enhance the quantity, quality, diversity and biosecurity of domestic stock.
Trees for cities
The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has also announced a raft of tree-planting initiatives for towns and cities. Across the country 44,000 ‘standard’ trees will be planted in towns and cities over the next two years, targeting locations near schools and healthcare centres in more deprived areas.
The initiatives are being funded via the government’s third round of its Urban Tree Challenge Fund, with winning schemes receiving half of planting and establishment costs. Besides larger plantings, individual applications can be made for smaller, focused areas
of planting undertaken by small organisations or community groups. These individual applications can apply for a minimum Urban Tree Challenge Fund of £10,000 up to a maximum of £30,000, with applications in by 25 July.
“We want people to contact their local authorities and make their case. We want people to plant more trees for all the mutual benefits they bring,” added Environment Minister Rebecca Pow.
For more information visit www.gov.uk/guidance/urban-tree-challenge-fund.