‘Pay farmers to plant trees’ Bid to save our woodland birds

FARMERS should be paid to grow trees to stop the nation’s vanishing wildlife slipping into oblivion.

The revolutionary idea of handing over agricultural grants is just one of 31 recommendations in a new report.

Using funding from the EU’s Common Agriculture Policy to reward farmers to grow forests with native trees would save endangered birds, butterflies and plants, it says.

At the same time, every child should be given “an element of woodland-based learning” and schools should also establish partnerships with forest owners. The ideas are contained in a 70-page report from the Independent Panel on Forestry.

Defra ministers set up the panel in the wake of its U-turn over selling off public-owned forests and will now consider its recommendations.

Britain is Europe’s least forested nation and one of the key thrusts of the report is to see land covered by trees, now less than 10 per cent, rise to 15 per cent by 2050. Over the past 25 years once common birds such as the goldcrest and treecreeper have declined by 24 and 18 per cent respectively.

Forest specialists such as the wood warbler and pied flycatcher have fared worst, with their numbers more than halved.

It is a similar story with woodland butterflies and plants.

Conservationist Jeremy Boxall of Linking Environment and Farming said: “If the woodland is managed properly it will quickly deliver greater biodiversity. Making woodland a cash crop could incentivise land owners.”

The British Trust for Ornithology said: “This report shines a light on the importance to society of our woods and their wildlife.”