Information Classification: CONTROLLED Forest for Cornwall Woodland/Tree Canopy planting guidance Cornwall Council – August 2020 Contents – click on each heading to take you directly to the page 1 Introduction to Forest for Cornwall 3 2 Right tree in the right place for the right purpose 4 3 Evaluation of a site before planting 4 4 Planning your tree planting scheme 7 5 Site preparation for tree planting 8 6 Tree planting and establishment 8 7 Wood pasture and parkland 14 8 Orchards and fruiting hedgerow trees 15 9 Hedgerow planting and establishment 16 10 Hedgerow management 18 11 Edible Hedges 21 12 Natural regeneration 21 13 Agroforestry 22 14 Urban trees 23 15 Aftercare and ongoing maintenance 25 16 Large scale tree planting 26 17 Resources 27 Thank you to the Woodland Trust for their support during the founding stages of the Forest for Cornwall and for kindly allowing us to use the images from their media library in this publication. We will be working closely with the Woodland Trust and others to deliver the Forest for Cornwall vision. Forest for Cornwall – Woodland/Tree Canopy Planting Guidance 2 1 Introduction to the Forest for Cornwall The Forest for Cornwall, conceived by Cornwall Council, is an ambitious tree planting project with the principle aim of helping to combat climate change. When complete we hope it will cover approximately 8,000 hectares - that’s about 2% of Cornwall’s land area. The Forest for Cornwall is not a single area of new forest. It’s our ambition to significantly increase all forms of tree cover throughout Cornwall, whilst strengthening protection for our existing backbone of trees, woodlands and hedges. The Forest for Cornwall is part of Cornwall Council's response to climate change and striving towards a carbon neutral Cornwall. However, Cornwall Council can’t deliver these targets on its own. Participation and partnership is essential if we are to achieve the ambitious aims of the Forest for Cornwall. We aim to motivate everyone to look after the trees that they already have, to think about having more trees and hedges on their own land, and for local communities to develop their own tree planting schemes. This guide to woodland and tree canopy planting takes you through the process of establishing your own project and to ensure that it flourishes in the future as part of the Forest for Cornwall. © Cornwall Council - Forest for Cornwall launch in Saltash – December 2019 Forest for Cornwall – Woodland/Tree Canopy Planting Guidance 3 2 Right tree in the right place for the right purpose This is an overarching principle for the Forest for Cornwall. As well as several large areas of woodland, there will be many smaller copses and individual trees, with connecting corridors in the form of hedgerows, and trees along rivers, trails and cycle routes and in urban streets. Some larger sites will be planted by using ‘woodland opportunity mapping’ carried out by the University of Exeter (https://lagas.co.uk/,) which identifies the best sites. The programme will involve planting new trees and protecting existing trees and hedges. Forest for Cornwall will also aim to support opportunistic planting and rewilding by landowners, businesses and community groups. Planting will be sensitive to existing environmental, heritage and landscape features, whilst recognising that we are living in a changing world. Evaluation of these factors on a proposed site for planting are outlined below. New planting will consist of a mix of native and, where appropriate, non-native trees. To guide you we have drawn up a list of tree species, which provide best climate and disease resilience. Forest for Cornwall aims to adopt environmental best practise for tree establishment. There is a preference for avoiding or minimising the use of plastic tree tubes and exploring how these can be eliminated or more sustainable products can be developed, and avoiding or minimising the use of chemicals. We will encourage others to follow the approach wherever they can. 3 Evaluation of site before planting Biodiversity Existing and alternative habitats may be better at carbon capture and for diversity than trees for a given site. It is important to evaluate this before considering tree planting. You may start by asking what have you already got on site and how would the tree planting impact on this? Consider if the tree planting would result in improved wildlife habitat but not at the expense of other rich habitats. You can check any designations such as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI’s) on the Cornwall Council Interactive Map. Forest for Cornwall – Woodland/Tree Canopy Planting Guidance 4 During your project planning phase, look to increase connectivity between habitats as a whole and for a mix of habitats that provide a rich diversity for wildlife. Think about tree species that provide good habitat for wildlife, and aim for a mix of species where possible. Heritage Before planning tree planting schemes, carry out a heritage audit for the site. Is the site designated by Historic England as a scheduled monument or listed building, or is it recorded on the Cornwall Council Historic Environment record (HER). Is it part of the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Site and what? You can check the Historical Map Layer on the Cornwall Council Interactive Map for this information. https://map.cornwall.gov.uk/website/ccmap Think about potential damage to sites from root damage or wind throw from fallen trees uprooting and damage surface and underground archaeology. If there is a risk of this happening, consider a different site where tree planting would be less damaging. When considering orchard planting, ensure your plans reflect local cultural distinctiveness and try to include local varieties where possible. If there are ancient or veteran trees on the site please seek specialist advice. Find out more about the importance of these trees: https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/british- trees/ancient-trees/ Landscape Tree planting and connectivity should be planned to add to landscape value rather than detract, is the area you are planting within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty? It’s important to visualise how your planned plantings will fit in the landscape when they are established. Will it obscure views both within the landscape, looking out and looking in? how your proposal fits in with the Forest for Cornwall as a whole is an important consideration. © Tamar Valley AONB Forest for Cornwall – Woodland/ Tree Canopy Planting Guidance 5 The following flowchart is a useful tool to help decide if your site is a good place for a tree planting scheme: Selection of sites suitable for tree planting Do you have to plant trees No Consider Natural Regeneration. This is a low carbon way of establishing new woodland to create a woodland? through natural seedling establishment. It results in more natural wildlife rich woods with scrub such as br amble protecting growing trees from rabbits and deer .On large sites grazing Yes animals can be introduced later at low densities to maintain areas of valuable grassland and scrub mosaic within the woodland. What type of site are you thinking of planting trees on? Don’t plant trees - the site is likely to be a semi-natural habitat of wildlife value. Old, Yes unimproved grasslands, coastal grasslands and permanent pastures are habitats of wildlife importance for plants, fungi and insects. These habitats already store carbon and planting Yes Grassland rich in trees on them may shade out existing species, resulting in a net loss of biodiversity. wildflowers and /or fungi These sites may also have designations for wildlife (e.g. County Wildlife Site, Site of Special Yes Scientific Interest) or historic features (e.g. scheduled ancient monument); Check Coastal habitats e.g. cliffs and sand dunes *https://map.cornwall.gov.uk/website/ccmap Moorland e.g. heather Yes Seek advice before planting trees –Heathland and wetland are very valuable habitats for dominated. Does it have wildlife but both are threatened and declining. Important wetlands are not always easy to historic features such as identify, especially in winter. Both heathlands and wetlands already store carbon and barrows ? planting trees on them can dry them out and cast shade, resulting in a net loss of Yes biodiversity. As well as being species rich, these sites may have a wildlife or historic Wet, marshy or adjacent designation; check * https://map.cornwall.gov.uk/website/ccmap to a stream? Seek advice before planting trees –Existing woodlands and scrub are very often valuable for Does the site already wildlife and tree planting may not be appropriate for the following reasons: Yes have trees e.g. parkland, • Clearings in woodland are often the most wildlife rich parts of a wood. It is not orchards, established necessary to have continuous tree cover woodland or scrub? • Ancient woodlands are very special and need careful management. Choice of tree species /planting locations is vital to ensure wildlife benefit, but natural regeneration is Other habitat e.g. mine likely to be more appropriate; check for Ancient Woodland locations by selecting sites, bare ground, ‘habitats and species’, then ‘woodland’ on https://magic.defra.gov.uk/MagicMap.aspx hedges or bracken • Parkland (widely spaced trees in grassland) and orchards are valuable habitats in which slopes it is important to maintain large clearings between trees. Both may also be important Farmland e.g. arable or landscape and historic features; check * https://map.cornwall.gov.uk/website/ccmap grassland with few Yes wildflower plants or fungi Seek expert advice before planting trees - habitats such as mine sites, bare ground, and south facing hedges or bracken slopes can be incredibly valuable for invertebrates.