Government benefits

Urban forestry has the potential to contribute to the following government policy areas:

  • Access & Recreation
  • Biodiversity
  • Climate Change
  • Crime Reduction
  • Economic Regeneration
  • Education
  • Energy Efficiency
  • Flood Control
  • Health & Wellbeing
  • Improving Air Quality
  • Landscape & Amenity
  • Renewable Energy
  • Social Inclusion
  • Sustainability
  • Timber Production

This summary goes some way to showing just how potentially valuable urban forestry can be in helping to meet local and national government policy objectives. Even if an urban forest had no benefits other than for health and wellbeing, this factor alone should establish urban forestry as an extremely important field of work in Wales. This is particularly relevant in times of increasing incidences of coronary heart disease, obesity and an increasing pressure on the National Health Service to reduce hospital waiting times.