Applications for new £6m fund has opened, with environmental charities, not-for-profits, local authorities and protected landscape bodies encouraged to apply.
The Trees Call to Action-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.
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.
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.”
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.
The fund will be delivered by the National Lottery Heritage Fund in partnership with Defra and the Forestry Commission.
This announcement is set to 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.
More information about this fund is available on the Heritage Fund website.
