Last week you published a well-balanced piece on the success story that is Kielder Forest (How England’s largest forest went from commodity to conservation haven, 2 June). At the heart of this achievement has been learning from the planting mistakes of the 1970s. Today Kielder is successful both as a commercial forest, producing 25% of England’s homegrown timber, and in its biodiversity – providing habitat for red squirrels, voles and ospreys, for example.
It was therefore disappointing to read your article on commercial forests this week (Tax-break trees: how woodland became a store of wealth for the rich, 7 June). Disappointing because it contained an unchallenged and outdated trope from Camilla Fowler, chair of the Lilliesleaf, Ashkirk and Midlem community council, who stated: “This kind of forestry scars the landscape and replaces it with monocultural, dark trees that harms our biodiversity.”
