Tree-planting initiative to address climate crisis

Tree-planting initiative to address climate crisis

It is hoped that the move could help the Island to make an early start in its quest for carbon neutrality and inspire further planting projects around the Island.

The plans would require changes to Jersey’s land law, which Environment Minister John Young has confirmed he would be willing to support.

Earlier this year the States declared a climate-change emergency and committed to become carbon neutral by 2030, meaning that the Island would remove as much carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as it puts into it.

Deputy Steve Luce said that he was keen to play his part in helping achieve this and had put forward his idea to plant more broad-leaf trees, which are effective at absorbing carbon dioxide.

‘As a former Environment Minister, I still take an interest in these matters and tackling the issue of climate change is very important to me,’ he said.

‘I had the idea with the celebration of 100 years of the Farmers Union to plant 100 vergées of broad-leaf trees, which we know are very good for absorbing carbon dioxide, on agricultural land in Jersey which is out of the way or not used much.’ (A vergée is about 1,800 sq metres.)

‘Under the current land law you can only plant apple trees in agricultural fields. I would like to see that changed so we can start planting broad-leaf trees, such as oaks and chestnut trees, in them too,’ Deputy Luce added.

‘I have contacted the Jersey Farmers’ Union to see if they would be interested in this idea and I am waiting to hear back from their president. The trees would not be planted in the best agricultural fields but in the out-of-the-way or lower-quality fields.’

He added: ‘If this gets the go ahead it would then be a case of seeing where we could resource the trees from. Or it might be a case of planting saplings here in Jersey. If so, they would take ten to 15 years to grow, so it’s best that we get on with this as quickly as possible.

‘100 vergées isn’t a huge amount of land, so this won’t see the Island covered in trees, but it’s something and, if it goes well, then maybe it will spark other projects.’

‘Achieving carbon neutrality is going to be a massive challenge, so we need to start as soon as possible,’ said Deputy Luce.

‘Jersey could give money to elsewhere and ask them to plant trees to act as carbon sinks but we don’t just have money, we have the resources in the shape of land where trees can be planted to do this – so why don’t we use that?’

Environment Minister John Young said that his department was looking at making changes to the law so that a greater variety of trees can be planted on agricultural land.

‘One of the things I am looking at is reviewing the agricultural licences and leases law because at the moment we have a very narrow restriction of what agricultural lands can be used for,’ he said.

‘At the moment if something is not a crop then it is not viewed as agriculture, and people have even been threatened with prosecution over this, which is ridiculous.’

Around £18 million has been set aside for Jersey’s new Climate Change Fund over the next four years.

Last week the National Trust for Jersey announced their ‘Hedge Fund’ plan to plant thousands of shrubs and trees in the Island, with the aim of smashing their previous record of planting 8,000 trees in one year.

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