Autumn 2003
"Lord Haskins proclaims long may you thrive"
 Speaking at this year's National Forest Tender Scheme winners' event, Lord Haskins said that he had found in his first visit to the Forest an "interesting microcosm" for today's countryside. 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.
- A key lesson was that The National Forest is not bureaucratic but gives people the chance to make their own decisions.
With the huge variety covered by 'farming', Lord Haskins expressed his confidence in the ability of the individual: "If you devolve power, people will respond.With the help of some Government money, specific solutions can be found."
Fact: There are 145 Tender Schemes in The National Forest - over 80%% are owned by farmers. Investment in the rural economy through the Tender Scheme (a unique woodland incentive administered by the NFC in partnership with the Forestry Commission) over the last 9 years exceeds £21 million.
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Statement:
The National Forest Company (NFC) is creating, through working partnerships and with community participation, a new 200 square mile multi-purpose forest for the nation in the Heart of England. Funded by Defra, it is an exemplar in bringing together public money and private endeavour, for the benefit of the community, economy and environment. It is a huge practical demonstration of sustainable development, of national significance.
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10 year strategy
2004 marks a milestone for The National Forest; it brings to an end the first ten year Forest Strategy. A major review of the Strategy was launched last year by the Right Hon. Margaret Beckett, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, as a starting point in producing a new Strategy to take the Forest through the next ten years 2004 -2014. Firstly, the progress of Forest creation has been measured against the original Strategy. This audit, up to March 2002, was independently verified by independent consultants.
As at today's date:
- Wooded cover across the area has increased from 6% to over 14%, with the planting of 5 million trees (84% broadleaf, 16% conifer)
- 86% of new Forest sites offer, or have planned, some form of public access
- 19 new tourism attractions have been created
- £34 million of investment has been secured for the area and 580 jobs have been created or protected
Following the audit, a new Strategy document has been drafted which is currently the subject of a thorough and wide-ranging three month public consultation process. Additionally, all national, regional and local partners have been invited to comment on the document. Respondents are asked to consider a number of strategic priorities including:
- a new target for the next 10 years of 4,000 - 5,000 hectares (nearly 20 square miles) of Forest creation. Over 75% of this is to be on agricultural land
- securing long-term public access to Forest sites, linking with the Countryside & Rights of Way Act
- the development of tourism attractions and accommodation provision suited to their geographical areas
- the national promotion and celebration of The National Forest
- the Forest's increasing contribution to the area's economic development through tourism, a woodland-based economy, farm diversification and related training
- lobbying for a range of transport choices, improved signage, and cross-boundary working on transport issues resulting in a non-statutory, Forest-wide Transport Plan.
The closing date for comment is 30 November 2003, and all those received will be taken into consideration when preparing the final Strategy document. It will be published at the end of March 2004 and launched at a special National Forest Forum.branch refurbishment programme featuring maple wood interiors.
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Business To Business (B2B)
As a result of corporate support from Rolls Royce plc, and the active involvement of its employees, the creation of the Forest has been boosted with new landscape features and the establishment of a major environmental education programme.
Creating the largest walnut woodland in the UK fired the imagination of Jaguar Cars Ltd. In partnership with the NFC and the Forestry Commission, they have supported the creation of the Forest in a way that demonstrates the ethos of their company in all its activities - one of innovation, quality and success.
Alliance & Leicester have contributed £100,000 towards a maple woodland to be planted which symbolically links to the bank's massive branch refurbishment programme featuring maple wood interiors.
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'An environment good for business'
Funded by Defra, the NFC works with regional government, regional and local partners and businesses. Chief Executive, Susan Bell spoke recently to Birmingham's business leaders at the city's prestigious Breakfast Connections Club. Urging them to become involved, she pointed out that The National Forest is the country's largest working example of sustainable development in practice and on Birmingham's very doorstep. It is creating an environment that is good for business, and businesses that are good for the environment.
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Fact: In the last year, nearly 37,000 schoolchildren visited environmental education centres in the Forest, including inner city children from areas of high social exclusion under a special programme run by the NFC in conjunction with the Countryside Agency.
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Accessibility 
