More than 200ha of new woodland will be planted across 41 selected locations in England in the second round of the £5m special grant scheme called JIGSAW, forestry minister Elliot Morley has announced.
The Forestry Commission JIGSAW Challenge Fund helps support the planting of native species to join fragmented woodland. Under the Challenge, launched in 2000, the total area of new native woodland to be approved for planting so far is 465ha – amounting to half a million trees. The scheme has three more years to run.
Mr Morley said: ‘JIGSAW is helping to ensure that important fragmented woodlands become more robust and start to link into a network of natural areas within the countryside. In time this will reduce the threat to the wildlife communities that are dependent on native woodland.’
For further information, land managers should contact their local Forestry Commission conservancy office.
