England will have a **new national forest**, thanks to the **planting of 20 million trees**.
It will be the first of the three promised by the United Kingdom government to help meet the **legally binding** target of **16.5%** in that country by 2050.
With 2,500 hectares of greenery, progress is being made with the “national forests” campaign.
## New forest in England: how the campaign is
According to information from the BBC, the **Western Forest** will be made up of new and existing forests in **Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Somerset, Cotswolds, and Mendips**, as well as in urban areas like Bristol, Swindon, and Gloucester.
It is a celebrated advancement, but still far from the main objective. So far, only a **coverage of 10%** has been achieved.
The most recent research shows that the total forest area throughout the UK is currently estimated at **3.28 million hectares**.
This represents **13% of the total area of the nation**, but in England only 10% is forest**.
Throughout the UK, the goal is to **plant 30,000 hectares** of forest each year.
## Government Objectives
The latest annual figures indicate that around **21,000 hectares** were planted, the vast majority in **Scotland and only 5,500 in England**.
**Andy Egan**, conservation policy manager at the Woodland Trust, said there had been **”significant progress”** in tree planting, but much more still needed to be done to meet the goals.
In that sense, he indicated that maintaining government funding was essential. “Successful tree planting and ongoing management require **long-term economic support**,” he stated.
“A challenging public spending environment could risk undoing much of the good work,” he added.
An investment of 7.5 million pounds
The local government assured that it would invest **7.5 million pounds** from public funds in this new forest over the next five years.
The Western Forest is the first new national forest designated in England in 30 years, following the creation of the original National Forest in Leicestershire, Derbyshire, and Staffordshire, where **9.8 million trees were planted**.
