Afforestation: UK Forestry Policy in Response to Changing Resource Needs

Abstract

Forestry in the United Kingdom (UK) has been subject to a series of policy changes since the early 1900s. At the time, the country’s forest cover was down to an estimated 4.7%, which created dangerous dependencies on the timber supply of other countries, especially during World War I. In response, the UK government embarked on an intensive afforestation programme. The aim of this chapter is to provide a better understanding of the challenges involved in re-storing a key natural resource, using forests in the UK as a case study example. Through a comprehensive review of scholarly literature, documents, and reports, this work examines the UK Government’s afforestation programme, which began in 1919 and held sway until the 1970s. This has since been overlain with ideas about multi-functionality and sustainable forest management and, more recently, a renewed emphasis on forest expansion. The findings offer important insights into the long-standing impact of natural resource depletion and the efforts needed to undo, at least some of the damage.