EIR Request - Tree Planting

Request 101003154832

Please tell me whether the council has undertaken any tree planting schemes as part of its work to tackle climate change and/or help reach net zero or improve air quality.

Please tell me
1.  When the tree planting scheme took place
2.  How many trees were planted
3.  How much the scheme cost
4.  How many trees are still surviving   

Please provide the information from 2015 onwards.

Response 19-10-2022 

Information not held - There has been no specific tree planting scheme designed around sequestering carbon. Information that is not held falls under Section 17 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 - Information not held.   

However, work on this is planned to progress as part of the council's commitment to be net zero by 2030. The council aims to inset residual carbon emissions by improving the ability of our landholdings to sequester carbon - through tree planting and management, soil and peat restoration (if appropriate). Concern has been raised locally over some of the mass planting of trees in Moray to claim carbon credits and that these do not necessarily allow for co-benefits for biodiversity, nature, communities, health, or the local economy to be created. Funding has been applied for for a project to carry out survey work on council owned land to evaluate the possible natural capital benefits of tree planting and other interventions in specific landholdings to assist in planning and maximising any intervention for the climate, and for opportunities to work with neighbouring landowners etc. If successful in funding, we would aim to carry out this work in 2022/23.
 

There has been tree planting in Moray Council owned and managed land for other reasons - this includes the Queen's Green Canopy, developer obligations around tree planting and maintenance of council managed forests and public space.
Details of tree planting and felling from 2019-2021 are included in a freedom of information request at:  http://www.moray.gov.uk/moray_standard/page_140838.html
In spring 2022 there was 380 saplings planted as part of a restocking exercise mandated by a felling condition following removal of pine trees. These included Silver birch, Rowan, Gean/Cherry.