Defra and Forest for Cornwall have today (March 19), joined forces to form an innovative new National Woodland Creation Partnership pilot to drive regional tree planting.
This new partnership will be supported through an initial £120,000 uplift from the Nature for Climate Fund, Forestry Minister Lord Goldsmith has announced.
Following on from the successful Northumberland Forest Partnership announced by the Environment Secretary in 2019, the government is backing this Cornwall Council-led woodland creation partnership to help identify sites in Cornwall for woodland creation and bring local stakeholders on board.
The ambition of Forest for Cornwall, set out and led by Cornwall Council as a key part of its Carbon Neutral Action Plan, is to ensure that the woodlands created are best suited for the needs of communities in Cornwall.
A mix of targeted tree and woodland planting will be carried out to achieve this, including:
- Planting trees to provide shade in urban areas to help counter the high rates of skin cancer shown in the county;
- Planting trees in areas of high deprivation to provide wellbeing benefits for local communities
enabling economic benefits for the county by developing well-designed woodlands of scale to encourage visitors; - Planting woodlands to enhance nature’s recovery and flood mitigation.
Forestry Minister Lord Goldsmith said:
“This exciting new partnership in Cornwall emphasises the importance of working together and using a locally-led approach to help build back greener.
“I am pleased to announce that through the government’s Nature for Climate Fund, trees will be planted where they are most needed, allowing more communities in Cornwall to have access to nature and in turn, to experience real benefits for health and wellbeing.”
