26/01/2012
News

The Yorkshire Dales is set to receive a financial boost to support the creation of new native woodlands over the next two years.

Clapham-based charity Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust (YDMT) has been awarded £120,000 for woodland restoration from SITA Trust; an independent ethical funder dedicated to making lasting improvements to the natural environment and community life.

YDMT are now looking for suitable woodland creation sites across the Yorkshire Dales and would be happy to hear from any landowners who may be interested in putting some of their land to good use in creating traditional woodlands planted with a mixture of native broadleaf species.

Depending on the specific details of each potential site, a grant of up to 100% of the cost of creating the new woodland could be available to landowners. The eligibility of each scheme would be assessed by YDMT on a site-by-site basis.

Working with key partners including Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority and Forestry Commission, YDMT are also able to offer guidance and assistance to the landowner throughout the whole process, including discussing potential sites, suggesting suitable tree species and protection methods, and helping with the design, planning and maintenance.

Chris Lodge, Woodland Development Officer at YDMT commented, “We’re appealing to farmers and landowners with any possible sites for planting to come forward. Planting trees is a vital long term investment in the environment, and together, thanks to this significant grant awarded by SITA Trust, we really will be able to make a huge difference to the future of the Yorkshire Dales landscape.”

The long term benefits of planting trees are well documented, including absorbing carbon dioxide, enriching the landscape, providing spaces for people to enjoy, and creating habitats that support hundreds of wildlife species.

Jools Granville of SITA Trust said “We are delighted that our funding will enable this vital project to go ahead and look forward to seeing the benefits in years to come.”

Only around 2.5% of the Yorkshire Dales National Park is covered with native broadleaf trees compared with the national average of 4.8%, and the aim is to almost double the amount of broadleaf cover in the National Park to 5000 hectares by 2020.

Geoff Garrett, Senior Trees and Woodlands Officer at Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority added, “We are delighted to hear that this significant amount of funding has been awarded to Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust. We look forward to working with our partners and landowners to help increase the area of woodland within the National Park”.

If you are interested in taking part in the woodland creation programme, please contact Chris Lodge on 015242 51002 or email chris.lodge@ydmt.org