Regenerative Forestry Report

Regenerative Forestry

Growing and changing the way our forests are managed to make them fit for the future

Forests cover 13% of the UK; the second biggest land use after farming

Forests are an incredible resource with the power to;

Help tackle the climate crisis
by storing carbon in living trees and improving soils
Provide climate-friendly materials
such as timber and fibre
Create havens for wildlife
change and support meaningful livelihoods
in the forestry and farming sectors
Improve our wellbeing
our physical and mental health improve when we get out into nature

Regenerative forestry sets out proposals for policymakers, the forestry sector and civil society for how we can collectively better manage forests for our climate, nature and people. This includes how we currently manage existing forests, but also how we create new forest areas.

Read our latest report to find out what’s possible with regenerative forestry

What does Regenerative Forestry look like?

The future of forestry, one that delivers for climate, nature and people looks like:

Planting more trees, especially on farms and increasing forest cover from 13% to 19% by 2050
Increasing forest diversity by planting a wider range of tree species and allowing natural processes
Protecting forest soils and the forest ecosystem by reducing any soil disturbance and maintaining forest canopy
Creating productive forests that provide climate-friendly and high-quality timber
Integrating more trees and forests into farming bringing foresters and farmers closer together
People enjoying the physical and mental benefits that trees and forests bring

Regenerative forestry is fully integrated with agroecological farming and conservation to achieve the most impact.

Forests are critical in tackling the climate crisis

On average forest soils hold 75 % of UK forest’s carbon

What are we asking policy makers to do?

Develop a joined-up framework for land use which supports and manages farming and forestry in an integrated way
Use public funds and regulation to reward the benefits to climate, nature and people from integrated land use and the adoption of regenerative forest management practices
Align research and technical development to support forest owners to transition to regenerative forestry management practices
Create a vision for all Government owned forests (not simply exemplar sites) that embraces regenerative forestry throughout this public resource

What are we asking forest owners, managers and forest product industries to do?

• Adopt regenerative forest management practices across the entire forest to deliver optimal climate, nature and social benefits.
• Implement a step change in the species diversity and in-stand age structure of timber producing forests, with a presumption for the maintenance of forest conditions by reducing reliance on clear felling and the mainstream adoption of lower impact silviculture systems, such as continuous cover.
• Work with, and develop new ways to support, farmers in the integrated management of woodlands and trees within farming systems and the wider landscape.