Emergency Tree Fund extended to support Devon's Free Tree Scheme this winter

National Tree Week is being celebrated in Devon this week (until Sunday 1 Dec) with an announcement that Emergency Tree Funding granted by the Woodland Trust has been extended to help Devon County Council's Free Tree Scheme this winter. 

Since the County Council first piloted its Free Tree Scheme in 2019, it has funded the planting of more than 50,000 trees across the county as part of ongoing efforts to meet its carbon net zero targets by 2030 and to replace trees lost to Ash Dieback.

The Emergency Tree Fund (ETF) has played a vital role in contributing to that figure over the past three years, enabling planting to be carried out at over 300 sites in Devon. 

At least a further 27,000 trees are expected to be planted by Devon County Council before next March, which will take the authority’s overall figure to approximately 77,000 trees planted since 2019.

The planting is contributing towards Devon County Council’s target of its 3-2-1 ash dieback replacement principle through its work and financial contribution as a partner in the Devon Ash Dieback Resilience Forum.

The Saving Devon's Treescapes project, led by the Devon Wildlife Trust on behalf of the Devon Ash Dieback Resilience Forum, has been planting and nurturing trees since March 2020 to counter the loss of Ash Dieback infected trees and create new habitats. To date this project has established more than 161,764* trees outside of woodlands (*figure includes hedgerow trees) in the county thanks to funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and other charitable trusts.

When combined with all of the tree planting projects that Devon County Council has funded, that's over 220,000 trees – while around 30,000 ash dieback infected trees have so far been removed in the county. Although Devon County Council has felled trees with ash dieback (where their size and location can pose a risk to highway safety), they can still re-grow from coppice.

Councillor Andrea Davis, Devon County Council's Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Environment, said: “Our tree planting programme has been incredibly successful and the support we’ve received from the Woodland Trust’s Emergency Tree Fund over the past few winters has been an integral part of that. We’ve also worked closely with town, parish and district councils as well as our County Farms to find suitable sites where trees can be nurtured once they’re in the ground – and it's all helping to make progress towards our carbon net zero targets. When you consider the total number of trees that have been planted through our initiatives and as part of the Devon Ash Dieback Resilience Forum it’s encouraging to see that the figures highlight that we’re more than living up to our commitment to ensure that three trees replace every mature tree lost through ash dieback.”

John Tucker, Woodland Trust's Senior Relationship Development Manager, said: "Partnership working is essential if we are to address the climate and nature crises that face us. Devon County Council have been excellent partners to work with and we are delighted that our Emergency Tree Fund has played some part in supporting their activities."

Everyone who has applied for a free tree pack will receive them in time to be planted during this National Tree Week (23rd November – 1st December).

For more information go to https://www.devon.gov.uk/environment/landscape/trees-and-woodland/emergency-tree-fund