The Forest for Cornwall scheme has been granted £8.7m in government funding to expand its project. This comes as organisers announce that more than two million trees have been planted since the initiative started in 2019.
The scheme, which began in 2019, aims to help Cornwall respond to climate change. Cornwall Council stated that the new funding should assist the authority in reaching its goal of 8,000 hectares (19,768 acres) of new tree canopy by 2035.
Tree planting has taken place in communities, farms, schools, and streets across Cornwall. The project is also designed to contribute to England's target of 16.5% canopy and woodland cover by 2050.
Loic Rich, Cornwall's cabinet member for environment and climate change, noted that the Forest for Cornwall "enhances our local landscape, towns and villages, bringing the beauty and benefits of trees to our doorsteps to improve our health and happiness, providing much-needed shade during this prolonged period of heat." He added that increased tree cover helps reduce flooding in coastal towns and builds resilience to a changing climate.
This latest grant from Defra's Trees Programme follows the destruction of hundreds of trees in January due to Storm Goretti, which brought gusts of up to 100mph (160km/h).