30 March 2011 Last updated at 01:45 ET

North Yorkshire tree plea to prevent flood risk

Landowners have a role to play in reducing the risk of flooding

Landowners in parts of North Yorkshire are being encouraged to plant more trees to cut the risk of flooding.

The Forestry Commission has offered financial support to encourage landowners to plant more trees.

Experts have said trees can act as a barrier to flood water and help prevent soil erosion. They also help reduce sediment going into rivers and increase water absorption into the ground.

The new grants follow a similar scheme introduced in the Pickering area.

The Forestry Commission and the Environment Agency have used hi-tech mapping tools to identify areas where tree planting could alleviate the severity of flooding either downstream or in the immediate area.

Jeremy Dick, from the Forestry Commission, said they had learnt a great deal from the Pickering scheme and hoped to expand into other areas:

"We know that this method can help manage flood risk. For the past two years we have worked on a Defra-funded project in Pickering, called "Slowing the Flow", which has helped refine techniques."

Andrew McDermott, who has been appointed as a project officer for the Ripon-based scheme, Yorwoods, said: "Whilst trees cannot stop flooding, they can slow the rate at which rainwater runs off into swollen streams and rivers, reducing peak flood levels and buying valuable time.

Mr McDermott added that the scheme can also offer landowners additional income.

He said: "New woods will also provide wildlife habitats and offer landowners future income from timber harvesting. This is a really big attraction as demand for timber is increasing, especially for wood fuel."

Landowners are eligible to apply for grants if they own land in parts of the Yorkshire Dales, Nidderdale, Vale of Pickering, North York Moors and Yorkshire Wolds.