Conservation
Many trees and woodlands are protected by the law. Tree Preservation Orders (TPO's), which are issued by the local council, provide the best protection. Other trees may be protected because they are growing in a conservation area containing special or historic buildings. Local nature reserves - areas of importance to local wildlife - cared for by local people and the council, can provide some protection for special trees which can be granted a TPO.
Areas known as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), containing wildlife of national importance or having rare features and National Nature Reserves (NNR), which are the best of the SSI's, can protect trees to some extent but protection measures can be overruled in certain circumstances.
Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), National Parks and land owned by the state or the Royal Family, known as Crown Land, are all areas where TPO's can be granted to protect trees. However, even TPOs can be overruled where planning permission has been granted for a development or a road building scheme such as the sites at Newbury bypass and the M3 extension at Twyford Down.
One of the best ways to protect our native woodlands is to make them work again to provide raw materials and work for local people. In this way the woodland will remain as a sustainable resource for future generations, as it has for the last 1000 years.
