£10m has been made available for farmers and land managers to create new woodlands to help tackle the effects of climate change.
The Woodland Carbon Guarantee gives land managers the option to sell Woodland Carbon Units to the government at a guaranteed price protected against inflation.
The scheme's previous auctions have helped stimulate proposals for over 2,300 hectares of tree planting.
Farmers and land managers in England are now being encouraged to apply by the 9 July deadline.
This is ahead of the next auction which will take place online between 26 July and 1 August.
The Forestry Commission runs the scheme, with an aim to help accelerate woodland planting rates and permanently remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
The Guarantee provides land managers the option to sell their captured carbon in the form of verified carbon credits, called Woodland Carbon Units (WCUs), to the government for a guaranteed price every 5 or 10 years up to 2055/56.
This, in turn, provides an additional long-term income for farmers and landowners' woodlands.
Sir William Worsley, chair of the Forestry Commission said the scheme provided land managers with 'long term support' for creating new woodlands.
“The previous auctions demonstrates how this long-term commitment has been well received within the sector and is just one of the ways we are working towards achieving net zero emissions.
“This scheme could be the perfect fit for many farmers looking to help tackle the climate and nature crises now upon us.
"If you want to plant this winter, now is the time to submit your application ahead of the auction in July,” Sir Worsley said.
The announcement follows the third auction which closed on 1 November 2020 and saw 31 contracts offered by the Forestry Commission.
