England has witnessed an impressive surge in tree planting, as highlighted by the Forestry Commission’s recent statistics. Tree planting efforts have grown by 40 percent from last year, reaching a commendable 3,128 hectares.

Despite the challenges of a drought-affected season, making the establishment of saplings particularly arduous, the efforts have borne fruit. These figures underline the progress achieved by the England Trees Action plan, which has rejuvenated tree planting across the nation. With a comprehensive strategy, it emphasizes planting suitable trees in appropriate locations.

Various stakeholders, including farmers, local authorities, and other landowners, have received our support in enhancing tree cover in both urban and rural landscapes. The England Woodland Creation grant scheme aids landowners and farmers in fostering diverse woodlands. This initiative complements our regional Community Forests, Woodland Creation Partnerships, and urban tree planting campaigns like the Local Authority Treescapes Fund and the Urban Tree Challenge Fund.

To ensure a consistent supply of healthy seeds and trees, we’ve allocated close to £3 million to tree nursery projects through the Tree Production Capital Grant and Innovation Fund. Additionally, we’ve committed £800k to the Seed Sourcing Grant, ensuring a stable future seed supply.

Furthermore, we’re amplifying the domestic timber industry, aiming to utilize more UK-sourced timber in our construction sector. The Woods into Management Forestry Innovation Funds back projects that introduce innovative technologies and methodologies, ensuring domestic timber meets both local and global demands. This not only secures our timber supplies but also fortifies the UK’s forestry and primary wood processing sectors – industries that bolster over 30,000 jobs and infuse more than £2 billion into our economy annually.

Thanks to these comprehensive efforts, our tree planting initiatives are poised to make significant strides towards achieving net zero by 2050, mitigating climate change impacts, and rejuvenating our biodiversity.