Key forestry grants re-opened to support tree planting ambitions

Foresters, researchers, landowners, nurseries, and seed suppliers are set to benefit from up to £4.1 million to be made available to equip nurseries to enhance domestic tree and tree seed production to meet the ambitious statutory tree planting targets for climate, nature and people, while supporting green jobs, helping to boost growth in the sector.

This will help ensure we plant treescapes that are resilient to stresses including climate change and pests and diseases, while bolstering capacity to meet the government’s ambitious tree planting targets.

Forestry Commission chair Sir William Worsley said, ‘Supporting domestic tree and tree seed production can be at the very root of growth opportunities for our sector. Our grants have the potential to ensure there is a reliable supply of diverse and high quality trees for future planting to the government’s tree planting targets, improving timber security whilst boosting employment and the wider green economy.

‘I encourage all eligible applicants to come forward to help us support the sector to grow and thrive.’

These grants have already seen funding awarded to a vast range of organisations across the public, private and third sectors, ranging from established tree and tree seed suppliers to new entrants to the sector.

Through the Tree Production Capital Grant, for example, funding has enabled community tree nurseries to purchase polytunnels and seed processing equipment, and supported larger nurseries to invest in machinery to improve their efficiency.

The Tree Production Innovation Fund unlocks new technologies that enhance the quantity, quality and diversity of tree planting stock, for example funding work into reducing synthetic fertiliser use in forestry which later led to crowding in of Danish venture capital seed to launch natural fertiliser company Re-Genus.

It also supported Rhizocore Technologies to develop locally adapted mycorrhizal fungi pellets to enhance tree growth, resilience and greater carbon capture by soil. The pellets are designed to be placed into the topsoil with saplings during tree planting. They keep the fungal symbionts they contain alive for months, enabling the formation of mycorrhizal associations with the planted trees. Field data has shown sites using the pellets have significant improvements to both tree growth rates and survival rates.

Planning and planting new seed stands and orchards and management of existing seed stands are examples of eligible activities for Seed Sourcing Grant funding.