The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority positively supports landowners and communities to manage and increase the amount of woodlands within the National Park. This is supported by the Dales Woodlands Strategy and the National Park Management Plan, which has objectives to significantly increase the amount of woodland and to bring all ancient semi natural woodlands into management.
Since 2002, the 'Dales Woodland Restoration Programme' has funded the creation of almost 1,000 hectares of new native woodland in the National Park, almost all of which is on privately-owned land.
The National Park Management Plan 2013-2018 objective is to support farmers and landowners to create at least 400 hectares of new woodland by 2020, to strengthen habitat networks, increase carbon storage and help to reduce flooding.
Since June 2013, 227 hectares of new native woodland have been planted with funding from the Forestry Commission, the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust, the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority and the National Trust.
The Authority is also an active participant within a pilot project being run by the Forestry Commission to look at the opportunities for businesses to become carbon neutral and support new woodlands by buying carbon credits. Not only will this help businesses to become green it will assist landowners to create new woodlands.
In addition, the management of existing woodlands will mean that they will start to regenerate and develop a wide age structure leading to more carbon capture than an unmanaged wood. The soil structure will develop and carbon will be retained.