Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the impact of felling trees on soil health; and what steps he is taking to mitigate that impact.

The UK Forestry Standard (UKFS) sets out the Government's approach to sustainable forest management and this includes ensuring woodland creation and management, including tree felling, has no unacceptable impact on elements of the environment, including water and soil. The UKFS can be found at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-uk-forestry-standard

Forestry policy and practice is also supported by research including the Forest Hydrology Research Programme run by Forest Research. This includes assessing the effectiveness of best management practices at protecting the freshwater environment. Defra funds and engages with scientific research to inform its approach including projects investigating the impact trees have on soil properties and water.