Growing our Future
Welcome to the newly refreshed Forestry Framework for the whole of the West Midlands. Supported by evidence in the baseline study "A Growing resource" and the more recent "Regional Economic Baseline for the West Midlands 2009", the Framework directly connects trees, woodland and forestry to the wider West Midlands agenda, where there are opportunities to improve the quality of life for everyone.
Both rural and urban trees and woodland in the West Midlands are multi-purpose and multi-functional providing a multitude of different benefits and services: timber production, green infrastructure, wood energy, biodiversity, recreation, water and climate change mitigation, landscape aesthetics, employment, health & social care services.
The West Midlands is the fourth most densely wooded region in England amounting to over 100,000 hectares and 8% of the land area. The sector looks to the West Midlands Forestry Framework for direction on how it can benefit more from their tree and woodland assets and be better custodians of these assets. The Framework sets out priorities for activity across the private, public and voluntary sector.
This refreshing and updating of the Framework, aligning more closely with national and local policy, will result in the continuation of what has already been working well, the development of new benefits for the trees, woodland and forestry sector and local communities and an improved environment in urban and rural areas and at their interface.
The West Midlands Forestry Framework - introduction and notes (63k)
Themes
Tree and Woodland Cover (697k)
Trees Woodland & Forestry Industry (860k)
Wood Energy & Recycling (803k)
Recreation & Tourism (810k)
Health and Wellbeing (714k)
Fostering Social Inclusion (812k)
Enhancing Biodiversity (846k)
Climate Change (536k)
Green Infrastructure (620k)
Just over six years into the implementation phase of the West Midlands Forestry Framework, the significant buy-in and engagement of stakeholder individuals and organisations who seek to realise the benefits that trees, woodland and forestry can bring to the West Midlands continues. It is through their individual activities, projects and influence that any progress has been charted and future plans incorporated into the three-year rolling Delivery Plan 2010-2013.
For more details see:
Forestry Delivery Plan 2010-2013 (pdf - 624k)
