Woodland Trust: NI should increase woodland cover

The Woodland Trust has said Northern Ireland needs to significantly increase tree planting if it is to help towards a UK woodland target.

The conservation charity published its Emergency Tree Plan on Wednesday.

The plan sets out how the UK can rapidly increase tree cover to help reach net zero carbon emissions and tackle the declines in wildlife.

Northern Ireland would need to plant 2,000 hectares of trees a year to hit an existing target of 12% cover by 2050.

In 2018/2019 only 240 hectares were planted in Northern Ireland.

But if Northern Ireland is to contribute to a UK-wide target of 19% tree cover by 2050 it would need to increase that annual ambition by more than a third, to hit around 3,5000 hectares a year.

Northern Ireland is the least wooded area in the whole of the UK and one of the least wooded in the whole of Europe.

Tree cover in Northern Ireland is about 8%.

Dr Darren Moorcroft, CEO, Woodland Trust said: "I'm acutely aware that we start 2020 with more woods under threat from destruction than any other time in history.

"Tree planting rates are the lowest in decades, and one in 10 wildlife and plant species is under threat from extinction.

"The UK is one of the least wooded countries in Europe with just 13% tree cover compared to the European average of 37%. And only 7% of this is native woodland.

"In order to reach the target of 17-19% tree cover recommended by the Independent Climate Change Committee, trees will need to be planted on an unprecedented scale."

Correction: This article was updated 28 January 2020. An earlier version was based on information from the Woodland Trust which it has now revised.