Consultation closing date RSE inquiry into public support for tree

And We seek to establish the extent to which current practices are delivering these benefits, how far they represent good public value in the short and long term, and what more, if anything, could be done to improve public benefits in tackling the climate-nature crisis and the economic and social well-being of resident communities by tree planting, woodland and commercial forest management. [...] Do you have evidence of tree planting leading to quantifiable economic and social benefits, short and long term, for communities local to the planting? [500 words] In 2018 Confor asked a researcher to examine the impact of two planting schemes at Westwater and Larriston in southern Scotland on the number of people working on the land and living on the land, and prepare a very brief report. [...] At Westwater the report concluded that the numbers of people working the land were likely to be similar outwith the establishment and harvesting/restocking phases, but that the number of people living on the land doubled from 9 “with everyone working on 7 various enterprises on the estate and surrounding area”. [...] As mentioned in the answer to Q1, the realities of timber consumption are often overlooked and the majority of people are unaware of the scale of the UK’s dependency on imports and the related off shoring of ecological damage to countries with very little regulation. [...] While forestry is committed to the delivery of multiple benefits for multiple stakeholders and we do not advocate for any change in standards or regulations, it would be beneficial to policy-makers, businesses and the public to have precise data that reflect and account for the reality on the ground.