Great Northumberland Forest funding

continued from p26 justification for encouraging replanting with this grant aid.”

It is also hoped that eligible landowners will see this as an opportunity to expand their woodland area where appropriate, contributing to England’s target of increasing tree canopy and woodland cover to 16.5% by 2050 in England.

Sir William Worsley, Chair of the Forestry Commission, commented: “Woodlands are a critically important resource which provide a wide range of benefits to society as well as playing a key role in helping us respond to the challenges of climate change.

“The England Trees Action Plan highlights the need to ensure woodlands are resilient to cope with future pressures from pests and diseases and climate change. The support being provided to the Great Northumberland Forest will help increase resilience in targeted woodlands to ensure the resource is protected into the future”.

Areas where woodland is most at risk of being lost will be prioritised to ensure the most damaged locations in the county recover from this significant storm event.