Forestry England has announced its plans to create a new woodland in Okehampton.

Okement Wood will cover 83 hectares of land and will be created between existing Abbeyford Wood and Berrydown Plantation to the north of the town.

Forestry England says that Okement Wood will be planted with tree species carefully chosen for their local suitability, resilient to climate change, to create habitats for wildlife to thrive.

As they mature, the new woodlands will lock up carbon from the air, help to manage flood water, and will eventually produce sustainable timber for local markets.

The woodlands will be also be open access, supporting local people to explore and benefit from time in nature.

Kevin Stannard, Forestry England’s forest management director in the west of England, said: “Forestry England has been expanding the nation’s woodland cover since 1919 and Okement Wood and Blackwell Wood are natural extensions of forests we already manage in Somerset and Devon. Creating new forests from scratch is an exciting opportunity to apply the latest evidence-based forestry quite literally from the ground up, while ensuring that each woodland is designed sympathetically for its landscape.

“As planning gets underway, we are speaking to our immediate neighbours near both sites and will share our draft design proposals for wider public consultation next year. It’s important to us to hear from local residents so we can understand their needs and hopes for the sites as we develop our design plans.”

Forestry England will also be creating a new woodland called Blackwell Wood at Treborough, in eastern Exmoor.

Forestry England is creating these new woodlands using the government’s Nature for Climate Fund programme. Planning now begins for Okement Wood and Blackwell Wood and Forestry England will launch a public consultation of its draft designs in spring 2026.