Action to get more trees in the ground, create more jobs and
improve access to nature across the country has been stepped up
today (Sunday 31 October) with a new £6 million ‘Trees Call to
Action Fund’.
Grants of £250,000 to £500,000 will be awarded to projects across
England, at least three of which will be for new regional
partnerships set up to create woodlands at a large scale and
improve people’s access to nature, following the Forest for
Cornwall and Great
Northumberland Forest partnerships.
The fund will competitively allocate funding to up to 24 regional
or national projects managed by partnerships of environmental
charities, not-for-profit organisations, local authorities and
protected landscape bodies.
Funding will be targeted at regions, activities and costs which
are not supported by other government funding for trees, aiming
to increase community understanding of and access to trees and
woodlands, and boost efforts to increase woodland cover in areas
that need it most.
To increase the capacity and skills of the sector, the fund will
also support projects to engage people with trees, create new
jobs and develop skills and knowledge, for example this could be
by developing training and placement programmes for new foresters
and woodland managers.
Today’s announcement will support progress towards the
Government’s commitment in the England Trees Action Plan to at
least treble planting rates by the end of this Parliament. The
Plan, supported by over £500 million from the Nature for Climate
Fund, outlines how the government will deliver this target, by
announcing a programme of measures to boost tree planting and
improve woodland management in England. Projects will be required
to outline how they can best deliver against the England Trees
Action Plan.
Forestry Minister said:
With the climate change summit COP26 just days away, there has
never been a more important time for trees and tree planting.
This new Fund will help fund regional and national partnerships
of charities, local authorities and others to turn ambitions into
actions, to engage communities and landowners in tree planting,
and to develop skills to help deliver our England Trees Action
Plan.
Forestry Commission Chief Executive Richard Stanford
said:
To meet the climate and biodiversity crises we need to grow and
manage more trees - this needs to be done as a national effort so
we are better connecting people with nature and creating more
green jobs. This Fund will have a hugely important role in
helping us realise these ambitions, as set out in the England
Trees Action Plan.
I would urge any prospective applicant to apply, together we will
grow trees, woods and forests to make our nation more resilient
for future generations.
Ros Kerslake, Chief Executive, National Lottery Heritage
Fund, said:
Trees are a critical part of our natural heritage, from capturing
carbon emissions to mitigating pollution, they play a vital role
in protecting and enhancing our landscape for all generations to
enjoy. We are delighted to support this new Trees Call to Action
Fund which will enable partnerships to create woodlands,
enhancing our beautiful countryside and providing a huge benefit
to our wildlife and our health and wellbeing, as well as helping
to combat the impacts of climate change.
The fund will be delivered by the National Lottery Heritage Fund
in partnership with Defra and the Forestry Commission.
Potential applicants can submit Expressions of Interest from 3
November. The Heritage Fund will also release further guidance
and details of the application process on that date, with
information available via their website, social media
channels and e-newsletter.
Today’s announcement forms part of wider steps we are taking
under the England Trees Action Plan and Nature for Climate Fund.
This includes over £15 million this year alone for Forestry
Commission’s flagship England Woodland Creation Offer grant, over
£25m for existing Woodland Creation Partnerships this year, £6
million for the Urban Trees Challenge Fund for the next two
years, and a £2.7 million Local Authority Treescape Fund.
More
information on the fund and how to apply is available here.
