The launch of the new Charter for Trees, Woods and People

06 November 2017

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New Charter establishes ten principles to guide how we all work together for a better future for trees and people

On 6 November 2017, on the 800th anniversary of the 1217 Charter of the Forest, the new Charter for Trees, Woods and People was launched at Lincoln Castle – home to one of the two remaining 1217 Charters of the Forest. It now rests in the Lincolnshire Archives.

The call for a new Tree Charter was initiated in 2015 by the Woodland Trust in response to the crisis facing trees and woods in the UK. The UK's trees and woods face:

low planting rates;
lack of legal protection;
inconsistent management;
declining interest in forestry and arboriculture careers;
threats from housing and infrastructure development, pests, diseases and climate change.

More than 70 organisations and 300 local community groups including The Mersey Forest helped to collect over 60,000 tree stories from people across the UK, demonstrating the important role that trees play in their lives. These stories were read and shared, and helped to define the 10 Principles of the Tree Charter, ensuring that it stands for every tree and every person in the UK.

The ten principles – and some examples of how we're working towards them

Sustain landscapes rich in wildlife | Our wildlife projects

Plant for the Future | Our tree planting this season is focused on Trees for Learning

Celebrate the Power of Trees to Inspire | Our culture and landscape projects

Grow Forests of Opportunity and Innovation | Our timber and bioenergy projects

Protect irreplaceable trees and woods | We've helped preserve ancient woodlands as part of Saltscape

Plan greener local landscapes | at the heart of The Mersey Forest Plan

Recover health, hope and wellbeing with the help of trees | Our health and wellbeing projects

Make trees accessible to all | Our work empowering communities

Combat the threats to our habitats | Our ForeStClim project

Strengthen our landscapes with trees | Our green infrastructure and water management projects

Sign the Charter

You can still sign the new Charter for Trees, Woods and People and add your voice to this important campaign.

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