What is the Welsh Government doing to encourage the use of wool tree guards in the creation of the national forest?
The Welsh Government encourages those planting trees to consider whether tree guards are required, and if they are, to use non-plastic alternatives where appropriate. As part of the My Tree Our Forest plant a tree campaign, the Welsh Government are funding biodegradable tree guards for use wherever possible. The Sustainable Development Fund is funding an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty project exploring innovative ways to use sheep fleece, including tree guards. We are also funding a long-term Forest Research trial which will test alternatives to plastic tree guards.
Natural Resources Wales (NRW) manages the Welsh Government Woodland Estate (WGWE) and have successfully reduced the numbers of tree guards used for tree restocking by around 30% and are aiming not to use any tree guards for woodland creation on the WGWE. NRW also sits on a Forestry Plastics Working Group taking forward the Plastic Footprint Reduction project.