In 2019 the UK committed to domestically planting 30,000 hectares of trees per year by 2025.

As successive years passed, we failed to meet our targets. Independent analysis shows that by 2025 we failed to meet the aggregate target by a breathtaking 37,000 hectares - an area the size of the Isle Of Wight.

With the recent establishment of the ‘Western Forest’, intentions are set once more on how we might meet our tree planting targets, and with them our legally-binding climate targets as agreed in Paris in 2015.

The Western Forest is seeking in our area, the ‘Limestone Link’, 55 hectares per year of trees to be planted. CVPT and others were present for the Chew Valley Reconnected Partnership (CVRP) meeting on Thursday September 25, high on Mendip.

We saw how Yeo Valley Farm’s Hazel Manor site had massive agroforestry potential achieved through clearing of monocultural woodland (riddled with Ash Die-back) to create ‘woodland pasture’ of a mosaic of trees and open ground for livestock grazing and shelter, with huge biodiversity and ecology gains and ‘locking in’ above and below ground carbon.

We know that we have huge challenges ahead of us to achieve the tree-planting ambitions for the well-being of future generations.

We have been failing in the Chew Valley (and beyond) to meet these targets, despite amazing projects such as Avon Needs Trees’ Lower Chew Forest and Great Avon Wood.

We know land ownership is a huge barrier to achieving our aims - it appears that few farmers are able to change their land-use habits, and incorporate large amounts of trees into their farming practices.

There are are a few commendable outliers out there, but we really need some further landowners and farmers to rise to the challenge of this for future generations: plant more trees.