Opportunity to create Two New Community Forests in England

Local authorities and partners are being given the opportunity to work together to become a new Community Forest.

Trees are at the forefront of the Government’s plans to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, to help to bend the curve of biodiversity loss and to create thousands of green jobs while better connecting people with nature.

England’s Community Forests, supported by the Nature for Climate Fund, are central to the delivery of England’s tree planting aspirations. Through the Trees for Climate programme the Community Forests will be delivering over 6,700 hectares of new trees and woodlands by 2025 in and around our major towns and cities.

In 2021, three new Forests (North-East, Plymouth & South Devon, and Cumbria Coastal) were created to expand England’s network of Community Forests to 13 partnerships.

There is now the opportunity to create a further two new Community Forests. A briefing for all interested parties will be held on 14 June 2023. There will then be a seven-week period to prepare and submit a formal Expression of Interest to be received by 28 July 2023.

The expectation is that the two new Community Forests will be launched in November and they will contribute to woodland creation as part of the Trees for Climate programme for the next two years and for the period beyond 2025.