The National Forest, a pioneering environmental initiative in the heart of the UK, has announced a significant milestone in its journey toward regenerating the landscape: reaching 25 per cent forest cover across its 200 square miles of the Midlands.
This remarkable transformation, from an industrialised area that was once one of the UK’s least wooded parts of the country in the early 1990s, with forest cover as low as six percent, to a vibrant forest landscape in just over 30 years, stands as a testament to collective environmental action.
This achievement has only been possible thanks to the commitment and collective effort of landowners, farmers, businesses and local communities, all working together towards a common vision for the National Forest.
More than 9.5 million trees have been planted, restoring a landscape scarred by centuries of coal mining and clay extraction across parts of Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Staffordshire.
National Forest chief executive, John Everitt OBE, said: “This milestone of 25 percent forest cover is testament to all our partners who have helped create the National Forest for more than 30 years – the early pioneers as well as a new generation of farmers and landowners.
“It is a chance to celebrate success and demonstrate how this approach can be used to encourage more forest projects across the country in the drive to adapt to a changing climate and reach net zero.
“The National Forest is also part of a wider success story for all tree planting in England over the past year, the last planting season saw tree planting rates increase by 52 per cent from the previous year with 5,529 hectares of new woodland planted.
“This marks significant progress towards meeting the Environment Act target of achieving 16.5 per cent tree and woodland cover in England by 2050.”
With cross party support from government since its inception, the National Forest’s milestone of 25 percent forest cover has been boosted by increased tree planting over the last four years as part of Defra’s Nature for Climate Fund and the England Tree Planting Programme.
This has been combined with improved analysis using the latest technology to identify previously uncounted trees and woodland across the area.
While trees are at the core of the National Forest, its vision extends beyond regeneration. This dramatic increase in forest cover has seen a positive impact on key national priorities of nature, wellbeing and low carbon growth.
As the Forest flourishes, wildlife and biodiversity is making a remarkable recovery, bucking the trend of species declines nationally; woodland species such as sparrowhawk, brown long-eared bat and speckled wood butterfly are seeing particular increases, alongside the reintroduction of rare species such as dormice as habitats are reconnected.
This transformation is also enhancing quality of life for communities. Around 70 per cent of National Forest residents now live within 15 minutes’ walk of a local woodland, creating convenient access to nature on their doorstep, bolstering connection with the natural environment and opportunities to enjoy recreational activities to improve health and wellbeing.
Schools are also benefiting, with outdoor learning in woodland settings now becoming an integral part of supporting education activities.
Additionally, the Forest is helping to drive growth in green and low-carbon enterprise. Farming businesses have diversified, such as Cattows Farm, an early adopter of tree planting in the Forest, where woodland planting has helped shift from intensive farming to leisure and tourism activity, or the Deer Park where planting has prompted the transformation from a dairy business to livestock, farm shop and café.
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