£44.2 million for Community Forests

The Government has announced funding of £44.2 million for Community Forests and woodland creation partners. 

Collectively this will mean around 2,300 hectares of trees will be planted as part of the funding allocation, absorbing 600,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide by 2050. This will play an important role in meeting Government ambitions to treble tree planting rates by the end of this Parliament and reach net zero, whilst creating more green jobs within the forestry and environmental sectors, helping spread economic growth across the country.

This investment will create larger, well-designed and more diverse woodlands which will be more resilient to climate change, as well as natural hazards such as wildfires and storms. They will help to reduce flood risk in vulnerable areas, provide sustainable UK grown timber and provide more places for nature and biodiversity to thrive.

England's 13 Community Forests are all set to benefit from the funding. Community Forest plans contribute to the planning and regeneration strategies of the local authorities they work with, providing the green infrastructure needed to support regional growth. These plans are targeted to areas where woodland cover is lowest and focus tree planting towards more deprived communities - helping to level-up environmental benefits across the whole of England.

The Forestry Minister, said: "As well as tackling the impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss, this significant funding will create diverse treescapes across the country and improve the health and wellbeing of local communities by giving them more opportunities to enjoy nature on their doorstep."

Local authorities will also benefit from further support announced by the Government through the development of the new LA Tree and Woodland Strategies toolkit, launching in September in partnership with the Tree Council, Fera, Forestry Commission and Forest Research. This will help to build local capacity to plan for new trees and woodlands.

This announcement forms part of wider Government action to recover and restore nature, as part of the 25 Year Environment Plan, and commitments to reach net zero by 2050.

I want our environment left in a better state than we found it for future generations. I am confident that these proposals will help care for our environment, which is one of my key priorities I have set out for my constituents. To find out more about what action I am taking both in Norwich and Westminster for this work, please visit: https://www.chloesmith.org.uk/myplan/environment