WHY is Treegeneration needed?

Putting urban forestry into practice can sometimes be a difficult process. The often complex nature of the urban environment can present problems that first need to be overcome before urban tree planting can become a reality. Issues such as cctv, underground and overhead services and contamination are just some of the problems frequently encountered in urban areas. In the past, these issues have often prevented urban tree planting schemes from taking place, resulting in missed opportunities to enhance the quality of life in urban areas.

Treegeneration is helping to overcome these barriers by offering the right advice and support to individuals and organisations to ensure that the right trees are planted in the right location. With a large amount of underused, neglected and derelict land in urban Wales, there is a need for a standardised, more co-ordinated approach to urban tree planting. Having a single point of contact offering up-to-date advice on best practice in urban tree planting in Wales ensures that schemes delivered are of a consistently high standard and illustrate best practice and sustainability.

Another barrier that has often prevented urban tree planting from taking place is a lack of adequate support or incentives, including funding. Existing tree and woodland grant schemes, such as the Forestry Commission Wales' Better Woods For Wales scheme (previously the Woodland Grant Scheme), focus predominantly on rural areas and make no provisions for many of the site characteristics present in urban areas. By offering grant aid towards urban tree planting schemes, Treegeneration is enabling tree planting to take place in areas previously ineligible for funding.