Green Alliance meeting in the Commons - positive, and fascinating, as always

This week I met with Alastair Harper and Frieda Metternich of the Green Alliance to discuss everything from the Paris 2015 Climate Change summit to Air Pollution, shale gas extraction, community energy projects, and several of their more recent pamphlets, including their ideas for better resource productivity for a more resilient economy.

Going forward, if I had to recommend one pamphlet that assists, and which concerns myself, many members of my Hexham constituency and the wider world is their assessment of the UK Climate plan for 2015 leading up to the crucial Paris summit. I recommend it:  http://www.green-alliance.org.uk/a_uk_climate_plan_2015.php

I have worked with the Green Alliance for over 7 years. They are an outstanding organisation. I will be working with them more over the coming 6 months.

Pleased that Forestry Commission have agreed to 77 acres conifer planting north of Haltwhistle - building on Roots to Prosperity Report

http://www.hexhamcourant.co.uk/news/farmer-gets-go-ahead-for-woodland-1.1182882
We need to plant more trees in this country, and that must include commercial timber. That is the strong message coming from businesses like Egger, our antique and wood panel businesses, and many more, or there will be no such businesses here in the UK in the near future. Kielder, for example, is fundamentally a commercial conifer forest.
It is wonderful.

I have strongly backed the Roots to Prosperity campaign [pictured at Egger with many of the business and local leaders], and support the farmer who sought to make his farm more viable, by planting a woodland of 77 acres of conifers, and 29 of broad leaf timber.

Northumberland National Park objected to the application. I have great respect for the Park officials, and their management team, but on this occasion I am against their approach and right behind the Forestry Commission. The simple lesson is that the Park cannot exist in isolation to its surrounding community. The UK, and in particular Northumberland, needs more Forestry - something wholeheartedly backed by the public.

For my part I would support the planting of a small forest the size of Wark or Slaley, and am right behind applications for further planting both locally, and with the pressure I am putting on government agencies and quangos.

The reasons why this is so necessary are well set out in this report: its conclusions are unanswerable if we wish forestry, timber products and businesses like Egger, and the smaller producers, to thrive and survive in this country: http://www.confor.org.uk/NewsAndEvents/News.aspx?pid=23&id=2641

We need commerical forests planted soon - my Q today at Farming / Environment Questions at 10.15 today HOC

What steps are being taken to increase planting of commercial forestry in the UK to alleviate the future lack of commercial or other timber for UK businesses?

Our Forestry Needs are significant for our timber and biomass industries

I am an enthusiast for more forestry; this month we held a debate in the House, in which I was able to make a few short contributions. The full debate is here: http://www.theyworkforyou.com/whall/?id=2014-07-02a.259.0&s=speaker%3A24962#g264.0
The short points are these:
- where are we going to plant more forests?
- is it agreed that such a forest has to be of commercial use - ie containing timber that can used by businesses as in Kielder Forest?
- and to what extent does government need to subsidise this planting, or can the market provide?
- do any constituents object to more forestry?
For my part I would welcome further forests in Northumberland.
There is a Forestry Summit to be hel;d at Egger in Hexham, on August 4th, and I shall be there.