Environmental charities are being urged to apply for grants of between £250,000 and £500,000 to plant trees and increase woodland.

A total of £6m has been made available through the Trees Call to Action Fund, which is funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and distributed by the Heritage Fund.

The fund is available to partnerships led by green charities, councils and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and National Park Authorities.

Projects are expected to be able to show how they will be able to expand, protect and connect woodland areas, ensure trees are part of a green economy as well as ensure people can visit woodlands.

Full guidance will be published on 3 November and a deadline of 12 noon, 16 November, has been set for partnerships to submit an expression of interest.

In addition, a webinar for applicants is to take place on 5 November.

The fund has been created to support the government’s England Trees Action Plan for the next three years.

Environment minister Lord Goldsmith said that the COP26 climate change summit highlighted the importance of tree planting schemes.

“This new fund will help fund regional and national partnerships of charities, local authorities and others to turn ambitions into actions, to engage communities and landowners in tree planting.”

Heritage Fund chief executive Ros Kerslake added: “Trees are a critical part of our natural heritage. From capturing carbon emissions to mitigating pollution, they play a vital role in protecting and enhancing our landscape for all generations to enjoy.”

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