Panel proposed to plant trees after Storm Ciarán

Storm Ciarán caused trees to come down in early November

A deputy has asked for the government in Jersey to bring together a panel of experts to oversee the planting of new trees on the island and the protection of existing ones.

Deputy Moz Scott has asked Environment Minister Deputy Jonathan Renouf to set up a Tree Advisory Board.

Ms Scott said the aftermath of Storm Ciarán meant trees across the island needed looking after "now more than ever".

The States will debate the proposal in early 2024.

Ms Scott said a similar panel was set up after the Great Storm of 1987, and helped people who wanted to plant new trees.

She said: "During Storm Ciarán, we saw many trees come down and many of them just simply weren't in the right place to start with and that is why they came down.

'Panic planting'

"So, one aspect of the tree strategy was a campaign, a way of encouraging people to put a tree, but put the tree in right place, get the right tree for the right place."

Jersey Trees for Life said it welcomed the idea, and that it was already planning to help set up a Tree and Hedgerow Recovery Group to help.

Alex Morel, from the organisation, said the more people became involved, the better.

She said: "We don't want to have this sort of panic planting where you've got people just planting all sorts of maybe inappropriate trees in inappropriate places.

"We want to have a thoughtful, considered reaction because trees are around for a lot longer than us.

"When we pass a tree, we have to think about it in terms of 'how is this going to be for the next 200 years'."