500-hectare planting boost for England’s Community Forests

A PLANTING boost for England’s Community Forests has been announced on Sunday, December 6, with a new £12.1 million (€13.4 million) fund to plant over 500-hectares of trees in ten Community Forests over the next five months.

Over 500 hectares will be planted with trees across England’s ten Community Forests, from Yorkshire to Somerset, backed by £12.1 million of investment, the government announced today. This will also build the pipeline of projects for community planting in future years.

The new programme – Trees for Climate – will see trees planted in community forests across the country over the next five months. When mature, the trees will eventually store over 100,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide, playing an important role in meeting the government’s net-zero emissions by 2050 target.

The project will also reduce flood risk, increase sustainable UK grown timber, provide more places for nature and biodiversity to thrive, and increase people’s access to and enjoyment of woodland. The funding will also create new jobs and secure existing ones within the forestry and environmental sector, helping to boost local economies as part of a green recovery.

Chair of the Forestry Commission, Sir William Worsley, said: “This exciting new programme will benefit local communities all across England – helping to increase access to nature, creating much-needed jobs in the environmental sector and bringing invaluable benefits to people’s health and wellbeing.

“The £12.1 million boost will be a huge help both for getting trees in the ground, but also enabling each of the Community Forests to ensure they are well-managed in the long term, making sure these new woods can thrive to the fullest extent.

Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, Kemi Badenoch, said: “This investment will support growth right across England by creating new local jobs. It will also reduce flood risk, improve air quality and help make areas more attractive places to live. We are committed to supporting Britain to build back better and greener – and projects like this play a key role in doing so.”

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