This is why thousands of new trees are being planted in Harrogate

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Harrogate Borough Council is due to plant thousands of trees in Bilton Beck Wood and Willow Wood in Harrogate and Upper Horse Shoe Fields in Knaresborough in a week which has seen the White Rose Forest launch an action plan setting out how tree planting can be accelerated.

The White Rose Forest is the community forest for North and West Yorkshire that works in partnership with local authorities, landowners, businesses and communities to plant more trees across the region and improve our natural environment

This week has seen the White Rose Forest launch an action plan that sets out how tree planting can be accelerated across the region to build up to a sustained annual target of approximately 3,000 hectares per year from 2025 onwards.

Around seven million trees, the equivalent of 4,900 football pitches or 3,500 hectares, could be planted in North and West Yorkshire over the next four years.

To support this action plan and the White Rose Forest, the borough council will begin planting trees in both Harrogate and Knaresborough in the new year.

Alison Wilson, Harrogate Borough Council’s head of parks and environmental services, said: "We are delighted to be able support the White Rose Forest project that will help address the climate situation and deliver carbon reduction initiatives throughout the Harrogate district.

“The project will truly transform the region and, once established, will be enjoyed by so many."

The new trees will form part of the new White Rose Forest project for North and West Yorkshire, which will be one of 10 community forests in England.

Further information about the project is available at: www.whiteroseforest.org.

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