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2004/1/16
Despite the fact that woodland cover in the UK has steadily increased since the war, most people's perceptions are exactly the opposite. Nearly two thirds of adults questioned in the South East (64%) thought woodland cover had declined over the last 20 years.
This is one of the findings of The Public Opinion of Forestry 2003: England Report, published recently by the Forestry Commission, which assesses public attitudes to woodland and woodland-related issues in England.
The top four reasons people in the South East gave for supporting forestry with public money were: to provide places for wildlife to live in; to provide places to visit and walk in; to help prevent the 'greenhouse effect' and global warming, and to improve the countryside landscape.
Among the findings for the South East were:
- Fewer people (34 %) in the South East than in any other region are aware that the Forestry Commission gives support and grants to private woodland owners. (This is inspite of the fact that the South East is by far the most wooded region in England, with 14 % woodland cover, and has more than 10,000 woods in private ownership.)
- Peace and quiet, wildlife and attractive scenery were the most important factors when choosing to visit a woodland, each identified by over 60 % of respondents in the South East - and nearly two thirds of adults (66 %) would like to see more woodland.
- Respondents in the South East of England (75 %), along with respondents in the South West (76 %), were far more likely than in any other region to have visited a wood in the last few years.
- Respondents (49 %) in the South East, along with half of respondents in the South West, said they had woods on their doorstep, without the use of a car or other transport. This was a far higher percentage than in other regions.
- Respondents (73 %) in the South East came second only to the South West (84%) in recognising the Forestry Commission. Even though respondents in the South East (61 %) were better informed than most other regions having seen or read about at least one topic on UK forests, woods or trees in the last 12 months, and they were the most likely to have heard about at least one promotion (45 %), they still didn't realise that woodland cover was going up (64 % actually thought it was decreasing)
- 66 % of adults would like to see more woodland in their part of the country
- 44 % of adults would like to be consulted about plans for creating, managing or using woodlands
Of the adults who had been shopping for wood products in the last few years, 32 % recognised the FSC certification symbol, which indicates the wood came from a sustainably managed source
- 61 % of adults have seen or read about forests, woodlands or trees on the television, radio or in the newspapers in the last 12 months
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