LONG MAY YOU THRIVE proclaimed Lord Haskins

Speaking at this year's National Forest Tender Scheme winners' event held at Staunton Harold Hall in Leicestershire, the Government's Rural Recovery Co-ordinator, Lord Haskins said he had seen genuine countryside solutions in action.

At a time of massive change, he urged policy makers to recognise that "one size does not fit all" in finding solutions in the increasingly competitive economic climate for agriculture. He had met and heard about "all sorts of people coming to terms with the changes in a very real way" in the Forest. He particularly noted:

• What is happening in the Forest relates to improving the environment. It is far preferable to ask tax-payers to pay farmers to look after the land environmentally than to subsidise food production.
• Some spectacular examples of farm diversification in the Forest.
• The National Forest is not bureaucratic but gives people the chance to make their own decisions.
  
  

Under the unique Tender Scheme, which is run jointly by the NFC and the Forestry Commission, anyone who owns, or would like to own land, can bid competitively for funds to convert land to woodlands and other Forest purposes as their own contribution to the creation of The National Forest.

This year the NFC's directors chose 20 winning schemes. This represents the highest success ate since the Scheme was introduced eight years ago. Four of the winning schemes are in Staffordshire, six in Derbyshire and ten in Leicestershire. Together they will share £2.63m in grants to pay for the conversion work. The public can look forward to informal access across 89% of the total land submitted by the winning schemes. This year's winners will plant some 420,000 trees, creating 299 hectares (nearly 740 acres) of new woodland. There will be many opportunities for local communities to get involved through activities such as planting trees grown from seed, volunteer events and the creation of new paths and circular walks.