The HS2 Woodland Fund has reopened to new applications, with £3.25m available to support woodland creation and the restoration of plantations of ancient woodland sites (PAWS). First launched in November 2017 and managed by the Forestry Commission on behalf of HS2 Ltd, the fund is available for landowners located up to 25 miles from phase one of the route from London to the West Midlands.
The Woodland Creation aspect of the fund will now be available under the Forestry Commission’s England Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO). Funding for the restoration of PAWS will remain as a standalone offer and will be open to applications over the next two years. Applications will be assessed four times per year, with the first deadline on 30 June 2023.
Application forms are available from https://www.gov.uk/guidance/hs2-woodland-fund. A new case study is also available to read about a landowner’s experience of applying to the HS2 Woodland Fund and restoring an ancient woodland site. To plant trees in the 2023/24 planting season applications will need to be received by Friday 30th June 2023.
The full Press Release can be found on the GOV.UK website.
