Minister of Forestry Shane Jones says almost $1m will be spent from the Provincial Growth Fund to plant 1,350,000 trees in the Manawatū-Whanganui region.
The PGF will provide $960,600 in funding, Horizons Regional Council will provide $392,000 and land owners will contribute just under $563,000, Mr Jones said in a release.
The trees will contribute to Mr Jones' plan of planting a billion trees across the country over the next 10 years.
"We have the landowners, the land and the seedlings and the Horizons Regional Council has the right relationships with landowners in their region so a partnership of this kind makes perfect sense," Mr Jones said.
"The regional council will work with up to 40 landowners through their sustainable land use initiative to get trees into the ground in the next few months.
"The funding will also provide for up to 20 customised forest land appraisals for landowners considering planting trees on more than 50 hectares of their land - which would result in a significant change in land use on the farm.
"The establishment of more trees in the region will further lift productivity, incomes and help diversify land use. From this additional planting alone we expect at least ten permanent jobs to be created over the trees' life cycle.
"Some of these jobs will be situated in some of the most remote and isolated communities in the region where unemployment is high.
"Environmentally, the tree planting will reduce erosion and sedimentation in the area and enhance climate change mitigation and improved water quality.
"This is about more than an investment in trees - it's an investment in people, our regional communities and our environment."
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