Earlier this year Cornwall Council declared a climate emergency and has published a climate change action plan which sets out what it wants to do to tackle climate change.

The main project is to create The Forest for Cornwall – with the first planting set for next month we asked Cornwall Council what it was all about.

What is the Forest for Cornwall?

Forest for Cornwall is an ambitious tree planting project with the principle aim of fighting climate change. It is hoped that it will cover approximately 8,000 hectares, that’s about two per cent of Cornwall’s land area.

The Forest for Cornwall is not a single area of new forest. The aim is to  significantly increase all forms of canopy cover throughout Cornwall, while protecting existing trees, woodlands and hedges.

Forest for Cornwall will be delivered through partnerships and private sector projects.

What will be included in the Forest for Cornwall?

The Forest for Cornwall includes trees in woods, parks, farmland, commercial forestry, orchards, street trees and those in the public realm of towns and villages, including public parks and gardens. It includes trees in registered parks, many of which are iconic, ancient and veteran.

There will be opportunities for planting on private land, in residential gardens and rural areas including agro-forestry. It even includes arboretums (museums for trees) which contain ornamental, landscape and protected trees.

The Forest for Cornwall also covers hedgerows, Cornish hedges, field, and property boundaries.

Who is creating the Forest for Cornwall?

The Forest for Cornwall was conceived by Cornwall Council. The first phase from 2019 to 2021 will be core funded and coordinated by Cornwall Council.

It will involve partners such as the Local Nature Partnership, landowners, forestry sector, town and parish councils, environmental charities, the NHS, private utilities, local businesses, Government bodies, schools, communities and individual actions.

The council is looking to motivate everyone to look after the trees that they already have, to think about having more trees and hedges on their own land, and where appropriate in their local community.

How long will this take?

The council aims to meet the Forest for Cornwall target by 2030. This matches with the overall Cornwall Climate Action Plan.

How much carbon will the Forest for Cornwall capture and draw down?

Calculations using the Woodland Carbon Code suggest that an 8,000-hectare forest will capture 38,000 tons of carbon dioxide a year and sequester (remove) upwards of one per cent of Cornwall’s greenhouse gas emissions from the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is just one of the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

Will the Forest for Cornwall be one large forest?

The Forest for Cornwall will place the right trees in the right places for the right purposes. As well as several large areas of woodland and forests, there will be many smaller copses and individual trees, with connecting corridors in the form of hedgerows, and trees along rivers, trails and cycle routes and in our urban streets.

The council will choose some larger sites to plant by using ‘woodland opportunity mapping’ carried out by the University of Exeter which identifies the best sites. The programme will involve planting new trees and protecting existing trees and hedges. Forest for Cornwall will also aim to support opportunistic planting and rewilding by landowners, businesses and community groups.

What type of trees and woodland will be planted?

There will be a wide range of tree planting in keeping with ‘the right trees in the right places’ principle. Trees chosen will include species native to Cornwall today and from the historic records, alongside non-native species where appropriate.

How can you get involved in the Forest for Cornwall Programme?

The Forest for Cornwall is a new programme and Cornwall Council is developing a range of initiatives with partners to enable residents, landowners, schools and communities to take part.

For more information go to: www.cornwall.gov.uk/environment-and-planning/climate-emergency/forest-for-cornwall/.

Where will the trees come from?

In time, the council aims for trees to be sourced principally from local accredited nurseries. The large scale of the forest and the numbers needed to plant each year mean that work needs to start growing the trees now to support future demand. Cornwall Council is starting to work with local businesses, communities and landowners to establish new local tree supplies, seed propagation and sapling exchange schemes.

Trees are also likely to need to come from other approved sources to meet the demand.

How long until the first trees are planted in Cornwall?

Cornwall Council and others have been planting trees for years as part of their own land management and through projects such as Free Tree Scheme of the 1990s and more recently the Making Space for Nature. However, the pace and scale of this will now increase. The Forest for Cornwall was announced in July but Cornwall Council has been working on tree-planting projects and developing plans for the Forest over the last two years.

The first trees under the Forest for Cornwall will be planted during National Tree Week in November 2019.

How much will it cost and where will funding come from?

The council estimates that the cost of Forest for Cornwall could be in the region of £25-30million. Cornwall Council is helping to kick start Forest for Cornwall by giving core funding for phase one. Funding for subsequent phases is in development including local carbon offsetting for individuals and businesses.

What is Cornwall’s current canopy cover?

Woodland cover in Cornwall is between nine and ten per cent compared to a UK average of 13 per cent and Europe's 37 per cent. This statistic does not include smaller stands of trees or trees on hedges, so the council is establishing a more accurate local baseline figure, as part of the Forest for Cornwall. Work by the Environmental Records Centre show there are 30,000 miles of hedges in Cornwall.

Compared to much of the rest of England, tree cover in Cornwall is relatively sparse. Once covered in low-lying wood pasture, there has been a dramatic

decline. This is particularly true for boundary trees and orchards over the past 100 years. Nowadays, many woodlands in Cornwall are in small isolated pockets. Hedges have often been removed to enable crops to be grown on land that can be worked by larger machinery.

Trees and natural boundaries have also been removed or damaged to allow for roads and other infrastructure. Our existing trees and hedges are under increasing threat from development, agricultural practices, climate change, pests, disease and other factors. In light of the ecological, cultural and economic value of trees and hedges, we must do more to protect and extend their benefits.

Will the public be able to access the Forest for Cornwall?

In Cornwall, only nine per cent of the population has access to a small area of woodland close to their home, compared to UK average of 21 per cent. Sadly, only 41 per cent of the Cornish population has access to large woodlands of 20 hectares or more within 4km of where they live, compared to a UK average of 72 per cent.

The Forest for Cornwall will include the creation and enhancement of accessible woodlands. They will provide places to walk, cycle as well as peaceful areas for enjoyment.

However, to achieve the ambition to increase Cornwall’s canopy cover by two per cent by 2030, a significant proportion of new woodlands and forestry is likely to be on private land which is not necessarily suitable for open public access.