eAlert: 21 July 2020 - Launch of the Tree Production Innovation Fund
Published 26 July 2021
Applies to England
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1. 21 July 2021
This week read about the new Tree Production Innovation Fund and our latest Community Forest in the North East. Find out how to apply for the England Woodland Creation Offer and get your application in for the Urban Tree Challenge Fund as the deadline is approaching.
2. Tree Production Innovation Fund
2.1 Find out more about our new fund.
A new fund to increase and diversify our domestic tree production has been announced by the Forestry Commission today (21 July 2021), in partnership with Defra, with £1 million available this year.
The Tree Production Innovation Fund will encourage the development and adoption of new technologies and ways of working that will improve the quantity, quality and diversity of planting stock available for tree planting in England.
Applicants will be invited to apply for up to £200,000 in grant funding to support projects designed to address one or more of the following challenges identified through stakeholder engagement as barriers to tree production.
These include:
- making better use of available seed and vegetative planting material to maximise the quantity, quality and diversity of trees produced
- developing growing systems to enhance their efficiency and resilience to change, whilst delivering improved quality and diversity of product
- using innovative environmentally sustainable weed control solutions to reduce reliance on herbicides
The fund is open for applications today (21 July 2021), with the application window closing at 11.59pm on 8 September 2021 and successful projects running for a six month period between October 2021 and March 2022.
3. Supporting a greener future in the new North East Community Forest
3.1 Supported by Defra’s Woodland Creation Partnership via the Nature for Climate Fund.
The North East Community Forest sees six local authorities (Newcastle, Gateshead, North and South Tyneside, Sunderland and Durham) joining forces with environmental organisations to plant trees across the region.
Up to 500 hectares of trees will be planted in the next four years and a plan to increase canopy cover in the North East to 30% by 2050 - almost double the national average!
This partnership will work with people in the community, businesses and landowners with the aim of bringing forests and woodlands to those most in need across the region.
Anyone interested in potentially becoming involved with the project can find out more at www.newcastle.gov.uk/northeastcommunityforest or email northeastcommunityforest@newcastle.gov.uk to be kept up to date with information and opportunities as they become available.
4. England Woodland Creation Grant applications
4.1 We have been pleased to have over 40 applications in for the England Woodland Creation Grant so far, it’s a positive start to achieving our targets.
5. Urban Tree Challenge Fund application deadline
5.1 Get your applications in now.
If you are planning on applying for the Urban Tree Challenge Fund - you need to submit your applications by 23:59 on 25 July 2021.