Trees and woodlands encourage inward investment, create jobs, provide a resource for training, and boost local business income through increased tourism and leisure.

Creating The Mersey Forest is also helping to overcome negative perceptions of the region, one of the barriers to further economic development. An improved physical environment gives renewed confidence to an area, provides more attractive locations for business and housing developments and creates more desirable environments to live in.

Tree lined roads, green corridors and wooded locations have also been shown to be favourable for the housing market and can add around 20 percent to house prices. The Mersey Forest creates the environmental, structural framework within which economic development can take place.

Community forests also impact directly on employment by developing forest industries and stimulating the markets for local timber. In timber related industries alone, the Northwest employs over 37,000 people, with an estimated gross output of £435 million. The potential exists for further expansion, aided by the growth of The Mersey and Red Rose Forests.

The Mersey Forest partnership is also providing training in forestry skills, rural crafts and land management to help stimulate local forest industries and prepare the workforce for new opportunities.

And with over 30 million visits a year to woodlands and forests in the Northwest, The Mersey Forest is already an important part of the region's tourist industry.

To find out how this work fits into The Mersey Forest's strategy, click here.