It was reported in 1997 that public money running into millions of pounds was wasted replanting trees in Great Britain after the great storm of 1987 and the places where nature was left alone had the most prolific regrowth. The woodlands have seen a burst of regeneration where the canopy was opened and light let in. Saplings and shrubs grew up to 20 feet in ten years and there was a noticeable increase in insects, birds and flowering plants such as violets and primroses. Natural disturbance added variety to a woodland. More damage was done by well-intentioned cleaning up than by the storm itself. Many of the trees planted that autumn were planted hurriedly, badly, and they died. Clearing up with bulldozers and tractors had compacted the seedbed and many places had ended up "something like a car park". "Politicians feel they need to be doing something. They need to feel they are spending money and the most obvious way to do it was to clean up the damage. It would not be politically possible to just do nothing at all.".
(2) There is growing evidence that large scale plantations result in highly negative social and environmental impacts, which can include forest clearing. Tree crop estates are increasingly being developed by the private sector, creating resource conflicts with local communities and leading to increasing deforestation.