Putting Down Roots For The Future – Contributed

OXFORDSHIRE County Council workers have put down roots in the countryside to help make up for the paper they used in producing an up-to-date map of the county’s public rights of way network.

The council’s rights of way team is legally obliged to produce a Definitive Map and Statement of footpaths, bridleways and byways every few years – the latest was earlier in 2006.

Inevitably a lot of paper was used in creating the document – and environmentally conscious officers wanted to do something to make up for this.

Yesterday, the officers planted 50 new ash trees at the county council’s Centenary Woodland at Charlbury. The Rights of Way staff travelled there by train to plant trees which, over the next 80 to 100 years, will produce around 12 tonnes of wood.

Eric Dougliss, County Forester, said: “People are well aware that paper is made from wood. The 12 tonnes of wood that these trees will produce is considerably more than the amount of conifer wood used up to research, print and distribute the documents. They will also take up to four tonnes of carbon from the atmosphere, which will more than offset the amount of fossil fuel burned, in survey work and in distributing maps.

“Using ash instead of conifers also means that there will benefits for local wildlife.”