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FOR as long as anyone can remember, one of the most difficult things about planting trees has been securing permission to do so in the first place.
You agonise over a plan, leaving no stone unturned and going out of your way to keep Chris Packham as happy as you can; only for the relevant authorities to dig into the minutiae and find something wrong with it all.
But, at long last, England's forestry authorities appear to have taken a step in the right direction.
READ MORE: Tree planting paperwork 'simplified' as changes made to 'outdated' system
This week, the Forestry Commission (FC) announced it had made "changes" to the consultation process for woodland-creation grants and felling licences. They say this will speed up the procedure, significantly altering an "outdated" method that had been in place for several decades.
Which all sounds rather promising, until you get into the meat and bones of it all. Or at least try to. As it stands, the FC hasn't outlined exactly what these changes mean practically for foresters on the ground. Forestry Journal did repeatedly ask officials to outline the key differences made under the new process, and how this would differ to what had gone before. We were only pointed in the direction of the government website.
But reading between the lines, it appears consultations will not be needed with as much frequency as before. Something that rings true with a pledge from England's forestry minister to take a "chainsaw to tree-planting time".
Attending the Confor Woodland Show this week, FJ got a flavour of the industry's reaction.
John Bruce, Confor's national manager for England, said: "Trudy Harrison, the forestry minister, has been fairly bullish in saying she wants to take a chainsaw in the time it takes to plant a tree.
"She is really listening to us and she understands that we have fallen well short of our targets in England.
"We've done a lot better this year, planting over 3,000 hectares, which is positive.
"That messaging from Trudy has been echoed in the government's intent and the fact they have given the Forestry Commission more responsibilities with regards to consultation.
"These are going to be in the lower sensitivity areas. We will still have statutory consultations in more sensitive sites – such as AONBs – and these are areas where quite often the big forestry plantation lies.
READ MORE: Forester promises to celebrate 'majesty and minutiae' of trees in new book
"We just have to bear that in mind. We want to change attitudes and take the bigger view and the importance forestry will have for society in the future."
The Forestry Contracting Association's (FCA) Nick Adams is also the co-owner of Kilmaha Forestry, which carries out major planting contracts in England and Wales. He has previously told of the struggles his business has faced over paperwork and approval delays.
"I understand the FC says it is going to streamline some of the paperwork issues, but they haven't actually given detail on that," he said at the show. "It's quite hard to find out what that will actually entail.
"I feel like I am repeating myself, but budgets are a problem. We aren't planting anywhere near as much as we want to plant."
In any case, the changes are likely to be good news. Time will tell just how good.
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