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<p>We recognise the benefits to health and well-being of people being able to access
the natural environment and the role of publicly accessible woodland as part of that.
In addition to maintaining the public forest estate, which is the largest open-access
forest we have in this country, we are increasing the area of accessible woodland
in a number of other ways.</p><p> </p><p>For example, as part of our commitment to
plant 11 million trees during this Parliament, the Forestry Commission recently launched
the Woodland Carbon Fund, to help create new woodlands. This provides increased incentives
where permissive access is granted by the landowner for 30 years, as well as support
for recreational infrastructure.</p><p> </p><p>We are also working with stakeholders
to assess the quantity and quality of the public rights of way network within and
alongside woodland, which may lead to improved access; planting a million trees in
and around schools; championing the Urban Forestry and Woodland Advisory Committee’s
‘Vision for a Resilient Urban Forest’; and conducting research into the value and
benefits of urban trees, like the iTree Eco UK project.</p>
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