The Government’s
Tree Champion Sir William Worsley has been reappointed to continue his
drive to accelerate tree planting rates.
The chair of the
National Forest Company was tasked last year with setting a bold direction for
the country’s forests and woodlands over the next 25 years.
Now Sir William is
marking his reappointment with a call to land owners, farmers and foresters
across the country to take up the mantle of tree planting by accessing the
Government’s Woodland Creation Grant Scheme.
Through this fund,
which is now open for applications all year round, planting grants of up to
£6,800 are available to help landowners realise the benefits of expanding
woodland cover.
The creation of a
Tree Champion was a key commitment of the Government’s flagship 25-Year Environment Plan and since being appointed Sir William has worked with
Defra and the Forestry Commission to implement a number of initiatives to grow
woodland cover. This includes the £10 million Urban
Tree Challenge Fund which was announced last month and will see 130,00
urban trees planted across England’s towns and cities.
Government Tree
Champion Sir William Worsley said: "Trees transform our cities, connect us
with the outdoors and help to tackle the impacts of our changing climate. That
is why I am delighted to be reappointed as the government’s Tree Champion so I can
continue my drive to ensure future generations enjoy a landscape rooted with
trees.
"Now I am
calling on land owners across the country to help me by taking up our woodland
creation grants and tapping into the environmental and economic benefits of
planting more trees."
The Tree Champion
will continue to push forward the government’s ambition to move further and
faster on tree planting, with an English Tree Strategy due to be consulted on
later this year. He also has already been helping to drive up planting rates in
the regions, spearheading the launch of the first Forestry
Investment Zone in Cumbria and launching the Urban
Tree Manual to help local authorities in their decision making.
Earlier this year
the government also consulted on a
raft of forestry measures which included proposals to give communities a
better say in protecting street trees.
The Countryside
Stewardship Woodland Creation grant is open for applications all year round.
Farmers, land managers and foresters are encouraged to submit full applications
at least five months before they plan to plant woodland, to give themselves the
best chance of receiving an agreement when they need it.
By planting more
trees and creating new woodland, landowners in England can help to prevent
flood risk and contribute to the sustainability of the wider landscape and
provide a range of other ecosystem benefits such as carbon capture, soil
conservation and biodiversity.
The government has
guaranteed that any agreements where funding has been agreed before the end of
2020 will be funded for their full lifetime, even in a no-deal scenario.
