Mrs Thatcher plants millionth storm tree

The Prime Minister marked a milestone in the life of the Countryside Commission's special unit, Task Force Trees, in April by planting the millionth tree to have been grant-aided by the unit since it was set up after the Great Storm of 1987.

Mrs Thatcher planted a hardy Himalayan Birch sapling in Victoria Embankment Gardens, Westminster—not far from 10 Downing Street—and looked forward to another million trees being planted through Task Force Trees' landscape restoration programme.

Through its programme, Task Force Trees has given grants, channelled through local authorities, to many hundreds of landowners, farmers and voluntary bodies in the south-east to start replacing some of the 15 million trees lost in the devastating Great Storm.

Now, with additional funding from the Government, it is also working in the same way in areas affected by this year's gales, in which an estimated four million trees were lost.

Congratulating Task Force Trees on achieving its first million, Mrs Thatcher said: “Within a few days of the 1987 storm the Government had asked the Countryside Commission to set up a task force to initiate appropriate action, to create a better awareness of the importance of trees in our towns and in our countryside, and to set the pace for an ambitious restoration programme.

“I am pleased to mark this milestone in the restoration programme by planting this tree. Let it also be the first tree of the second million we must plant during the next phase of this important work.” Mrs Thatcher added that she would check on the progress of the young birch from time to time.

Sir Derek Barber, Chairman of the Countryside Commission, said he was particularly pleased that Mrs Thatcher had chosen to mark the milestone by planting a tree where she would often be able to see it.

He added: “We are delighted to have achieved this initial target in just three planting seasons, but there is still much work to be done. It will take many years to replace the millions of trees lost. It is vital to use this opportunity to create a better landscape—and that will involve a great deal of effort.”

The ‘milestone’ tree, which replaces an ornamental Catalpa lost in the Great Storm, is one of more than 2,000 which have been planted through the City of Westminster's landscape restoration programme, with the help of grants totalling nearly £50,000 from Task Force Trees. Many other trees have been rescued by tree surgery.