Much of the UK used to be wooded. Place names like the Forests of Dean, Sherwood and Bowland bear witness to past vegetation. Most of these trees were chopped down to build ships. These ships were used to explore for other plants - spices, plantation crops and garden plants, that could be exploited by british colonialists. They also brought back wood like mahogany and walnut for furniture. Is is any wonder that wood is treated so casually? Over many centuries there has been a gradual loss of forest cover.

At the start of this century, it fell to its lowest level of 5 per cent of the UK's area. There was an over dependence on imported timber which after the first world war initiated a UK forest expansion programme. Forests cover 10 per cent of the UK land area today. This is significantly less than the 25 per cent average for the EU. Most of these new forests are on land of low agricultural quality in the remoter upland areas of the UK.

Non-native coniferous species have generally been favoured because of their high productivity. There are many concerns about the impact on the landscape and on the ecology of semi-natural habitats. There is now a greater emphasis on securing multiple benefits by planting "down the hill" on better quality land and increasing the amount of broadleaved planting and new native woodlands.