New national forest charter launched at Lincoln Castle
A bit of good news from my home town…
A new forest charter that aims to put trees and woods back at the heart of people’s lives has been launched on the 800th anniversary of the original.
The event took place at Lincoln Castle – home to one of only two surviving copies of the original charter that granted public access to royal land.
The new document aims to protect existing woodland and encourage the planting of more trees.
Officials said the idea was to reverse a state of deforestation.
According to the Woodland Trust, one of the organisations involved in producing the charter, England has slipped into a state of deforestation due to a large number of trees being cut down and planting rates being at their lowest for 40 years.
It said the charter aimed to combat “the unprecedented pressures from development, pests, diseases and climate change, and provide guidance and inspiration across government, communities and individuals”.