The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority has secured funding through the White Rose Forest, the community forest for North and West Yorkshire, to support woodland creation in the National Park. The new grant agreement will deliver tree planting within the Swale, Ure, Nidd and Ouse (SUNO) catchment that is designed to help prevent flooding within communities further downstream.
Trees can play an important role in natural flood management by soaking up water runoff from hillsides that could otherwise increase river levels and cause damaging flooding within communities further down the river valley.
Over the next three months the Trees & Woodlands team at the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority will identify an initial 25 hectares of land within the SUNO catchment with a view to working with farmers and landowners to identify at least a further 300 hectares of potential planting schemes over the next four years.
Ian McPherson, Member Champion for the Natural Environment at the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority said: “This new agreement, in addition to the one we recently signed with the Woodland Trust, will really help to kickstart our shared ambition for 6,000 hectares of new native woodland in the National Park by 2030.
“The grant paves the way for the introduction of a dedicated Woodland Officer for the region, to help farmers and landowners to identify ideal locations for new planting schemes, and to access the funding that is now available.
“Tree planting is vital in helping us tackle the climate emergency, and in bringing important benefits for biodiversity, wildlife and water quality. It is also going to become an important future source of revenue to support farm businesses across the Yorkshire Dales National Park.”
Guy Thompson, White Rose Forest Programme Director said: “We know that trees are a powerful natural flood management tool. Our White Rose Forest Landscapes for Water planting programme focusses on the strategic planting of trees in our upper river valleys to help protect communities further downstream from potentially devastating future flooding events.
“Planting trees in the Swale, Ure, Nidd and Ouse catchment could help protect communities as far afield as York and is a key part of our Landscapes for Water work. We’re therefore delighted to be able to support the National Park with this new funding agreement.” The funding awarded to the Yorkshire Dales National Park comes from the White Rose Forest’s Trees for Climate fund. Trees for Climate is a funding package from the Government’s Nature for Climate Fund awarded to England’s Community Forests, including the White Rose Forest.
About the White Rose Forest
The Yorkshire Dales National Park is a member of the White Rose Forest Partnership. The White Rose Forest is the community forest for North and West Yorkshire, working in partnership with landowners, local authorities, businesses and communities to plant millions of trees in our urban centres and countryside where they are needed the most. The trees we plant will help improve our natural environment, manage flood risk, mitigate the impact of climate change and provide happier and healthier places for us all to live, work in and enjoy.
The White Rose Forest is one of four community forests in the north of England working together with the Woodland Trust to deliver the Northern Forest project that aims to plant 50 million trees between Liverpool and the Yorkshire coast. We are supported by a core team of experts as well as Kirklees Council as the accountable body, providing administrative support and managing funding and donations on behalf of the partnership. www.whiteroseforest.org
About the Government’s Nature for Climate Fund and Trees for Climate
The Government is aiming to least treble tree planting rates in England by the end of this Parliament, reflecting England’s contribution to meeting the UK’s overall target of planting 30,000 hectares per year by the end of this Parliament. This recognises the role trees can play in combating climate change and delivering a range of environmental and social benefits.
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 as we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The England Trees Action Plan, supported by an intended £500m from the Nature for Climate Fund, is a once in a generation plan to help achieve this vision. We will see an unprecedented number of trees planted, protected and managed to deliver more for society, nature, the climate and the economy.
Trees for Climate is a funding package from the Nature for Climate Fund awarded to England’s Community Forests, including the White Rose Forest.
