Keighley and Ilkley MP Robbie Moore MP has helped write a national report which has called for a comprehensive plan for tree planting across the United Kingdom. Moore has done this as part of his work on the Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Select Committee, which holds the Government to account on its plans to protect the environment.
The report calls on the Government to make more comprehensive annual planting targets and better finance schemes for tree planting initiatives, both nationally and locally. This, the report argues, will help the Government achieve is aim of creating 30,000 hectares of new woodland every year in the UK by 2025.
The Committee have also stated the need for a dedicated taskforce to be in place by the end of the year. This would include the Department for Education, the Forestry Commission and training providers and would recruit at least 300 new recruits into woodland creation roles.
Moore attends EFRA Committee meetings weekly to scrutinise the Government on a variety of issues. Last month, Moore quizzed Environment Secretary George Eustice on cleanliness in The River Wharfe, and regularly participates in hearings on matters such as animal welfare.
Robbie Moore MP said: “I am extremely supportive of the Government’s ambitions for tree planting and woodland creation. I was therefore delighted to be involved in writing and putting together the EFRA Select Committee’s ‘Tree Planting Report which highlights ways to better achieve the government’s target of creating 30,000 hectares of new woodland every year.
It is vital that a clear plan is in place to reach this target, which is focused on planting the right tree in the right location, for the right reason. Land is a finite resource, and this report outlines a national strategy on how tree planting can work in harmony with food production, but also other land uses such as the urban environment, public access and energy production. The report also highlights the importance of clarity for those growing trees, as well measures on how we can incentivise more landowners to commit to woodland creation.”
