High speed rail to pave way for Britain's tree planting project

More than seven million trees, spanning 650 hectares of new woodland, are to be planted between London and Birmingham as part Britain's biggest railway project, government officials announced Saturday.

The trees will be planted between London and Birmingham as part of the first phase of the new High Speed Rail link (HS2) to help reduce the visual impact of the line and create valuable new wildlife habitats.

"The trees will create a new series of landscape features, replace lost woodland and help to create 'green corridors' linking isolated wooded areas with new planting," said the government's HS2 department.

The trees and shrubs will be grown by family-run Crowders Nurseries in Horncastle, Lincolnshire. The family firm supplied the trees and shrubs around the Olympic Park during the London games in 2012.

The aim is to plant a mix of native species tailored to each location, with a commitment to reintroducing species currently in decline.

HS2 Minister, Andrew Jones, said: "The new woodland will be managed for up to 50 years so that the trees are protected and communities will be able to enjoy the new woodlands for hundreds of years to come."

According to Robert Crowder, managing director of Crowders Nurseries, the deal constitutes the biggest contract in its 218 year history.

The government has established an additional fund, worth more than 6 million U.S. dollars, to create new native, broadleaf woodland, and enhance existing ancient woodland. This is on top of a package of compensation for ancient woodland lost during construction measures already in place.

The first batch a million trees and shrubs will be delivered for planting throughout the route from the fall of 2017.

The British government says it remains committed to planting 11 million trees by 2020, with a long term aspiration to see 12 percent of Britain covered by woodlands by 2060. Endit