Seeing the wood for the trees...

Jon McCosh, of H&H Bowe outlines the objectives of the England Woodland Grant Scheme.

The EWGS is part of the Environment support measures provided by DEFRA and is operated by the Forestry Commission under the ERDP.

The aim of the Scheme is to develop coordinated delivery of public benefits from England's woodlands. The scheme has a regional basis and regional funding.

The objectives for EWGS are:

1. To sustain and increase the public benefits derived from existing woodlands in England; and

2. To invest in the creation of new woodland in England of a size, type and location that most effectively deliver public benefits.

Grants for EWGS will be considered if they deliver key targets in the areas of:

• Area of woodland under certified sustainable forest management and approved management schemes;
• Expanding the area of woodland with public access;
• Bringing woodland and SSSI's into favourable condition;
• Assisting delivery of habitat action plan targets for native woodlands;
• Improving the environment of disadvantaged urban communities; and
Woodland creation.

The EWGS offers six different types of grant. Each grant is focused on a regional basis to meet the priorities of the regional forestry framework; and the objectives are modified to suit. The grants each have their own unique structure and basic criteria. They are:

Woodland Planning Grant (WPG)

Preparation of plans that both assist with management of the woodland and meet the UK woodland assurance standard (UK WAS)

Woodland Assessment Grant (WAG)

Gathering of information to improve management decisions

Woodland Regeneration Grant (WRG)

Supporting desirable change in woodland composition to natural regeneration and restocking after felling

Woodland Improvement Grant (WIG)

Work in woodlands to create, enhance and sustain public benefits

Woodland Management Grant (WMG)

Contribution to additional costs of providing and sustaining higher quality public benefits from existing woodlands

Woodland Creation Grant (WCG)

Encouraging the creation of new woodland where they deliver the greatest public benefits, including annual farm woodland payments to compensate for agricultural income foregone.

Due to the diverse structures of the grants, the amount of money available varies throughout the scheme. For example, under the Woodland Planning Grant you would be eligible for a payment of £300 if you owned between 3 - 30 hectares of woodland. If you owned more than 30 hectares of woodland you would then be eligible for a further £10 per hectare up to 100 hectares of woodland, thereafter you would receive a further £5 per hectare.

The Woodland Regeneration Grant has a range of different grants available to those who wish to regenerate areas of woodland that have recently been felled. Please see the table below for further details.

The Woodland Improvement Grant and Woodland Management Grant are currently undergoing a period of transition from the Woodland Grant Scheme to the England Woodland Grant Scheme. Where the Landowner wishes to create new woodland it may be possible to claim under the Woodland Creation Grant; however one would need to be successful in meeting the selection criteria.

For further information on all of the above please contact Jon McCosh at H & H Bowe.

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