5 Millionth Drive-By

Northbound motorists on the busy A38 at Alrewas, Staffordshire, recently witnessed a major milestone in the progress of The National Forest. NFC Chairman Viv Astling planted the Forest's five millionth tree, a 4m tall oak tree donated by the Highways Agency, on the Forest boundary as the traffic sped past.

The A38 is an important gateway to the Forest and the tree will be seen by over 21,000 drivers per day as they enter the 200 square miles of the Forest. The tree planting also marks a symbolic start to an important new initiative between the Highways Agency and the National Forest Company, to plant more trees beside the A38, A42 and M1 routes through the Forest area.

Viv Astling said: 'The National Forest is making magnificent progress. Five million is a significant milestone towards our eventual target of 30 million trees to be planted over the entire Forest area. We are well on track to achieving this and having the benefit of this very visible location next to The National Forest roadsign, it brings the Forest to the forefront for people as they drive by.'

Tony Sangwine, Environmental Policy Advisor for the Highways Agency, was on hand to assist with spade and wellingtons in this celebratory event. He commented: 'The Highways Agency is pleased to be associated with The National Forest and has contributed significantly to the tree cover within the Forest boundary with its extensive roadside tree planting on our trunk roads and motorways. The travelling public often get their first glimpse of The National Forest from the M1 motorway or the A42 and A38 roads and the highways landscape, in some cases a significant linear woodland in its own right, can both signal the beginning of The National Forest and soften the impact of these busy arteries through screening traffic from view and integrating the road with the Forest.'