Tree-Planting Rates

Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs – in the Senedd at 2:16 pm on 20 February 2019.

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Photo of Lesley Griffiths Lesley Griffiths Labour 2:16, 20 February 2019

I think we do need to get some momentum behind our tree planting. There are clearly several barriers, which I think we have to overcome, and it's interesting, it depends who you're talking to as to whether we're planting the right trees in the wrong places or the wrong trees in the right places, and going through the wood for the trees—pardon the pun—I think it seems to be very complex, and I don't think it needs to be that complex. I had a very productive discussion last week with Confor, followed immediately by a meeting with NRW, where we did identify how we could overcome some of those barriers, and I mentioned in my answer to Jayne Bryant that NRW do have land ready to go, ready for being planted, so I want to work very closely with them over the next few months to make sure that woodland is planted over the next year, to kick-start some tree planting at the levels that we would want over the next year. I also think there are opportunities within the public goods scheme—we've brought forward that proposal in 'Brexit and our land'—and again, post-Brexit, I think that is an opportunity that I would want to work through.