THE chair of the Forestry Commission has called on farmers and land owners to apply for a new £10 million woodland creation fund.
Sir William Worsley says the Woodland Carbon Guarantee will offer income in the form of long-term payments for the amount of carbon stored across sites in England.
Calling it a "pioneering scheme", he said it has led to the creation of 2,650 hectares of new forests since it launched. Administered by the FC, it promises successful bidders government cash over 35 years at a guaranteed price protected against inflation.
READ MORE: Woodland Carbon Guarantee: Latest auction and closing application dates announced
Sir William said: “This pioneering scheme could be the perfect fit for land managers of all kinds looking for long-term income support for creating new woodlands.
“Now in its fifth round, it’s encouraging that this scheme has continued to grow in its success, resulting in the creation of 2,650 hectares of new woodland specifically to help combat the many and varied impacts of climate change."
Successful bidders will be offered the option to sell woodland carbon in the form of Woodland Carbon Units - a financial value given to each tonne of carbon stored - to the Government over 35 years at a guaranteed price protected against inflation.
READ MORE: Woodland Creation Offer: Farmers could receive £10k for planting one hectare of trees
Before applying for the Guarantee, land managers will need to have registered with the Woodland Carbon Code, which provides the tools and information required to verify and record the carbon they are capturing and can sell in future.
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