Cymraeg As part of the Countryside Stewardship scheme, you can now apply for Woodland Support Grants. Introduced in 2021, you can apply for the following grants all year round:
1. Woodland Creation and Maintenance Grant: Countryside Stewardship
A grant made up of a capital element under which you can apply for support to create a woodland, followed by a maintenance element to maintain it.
Use the Woodland Creation and Maintenance Grant manual to understand:
- eligibility requirements
- how to apply
- the payments you could receive
- the rules and conditions for the scheme.
2. England Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO): Forestry Commission
- The England Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO) is a new grant to support the creation of new woodland and is administered by the Forestry Commission. Many of the options offered under the Woodland Creation and Maintenance Grant are also available under EWCO and you may be eligible for higher payment rates.
- Landowners, land managers and public bodies can apply to the EWCO for support to create new woodland, including through natural colonisation (the process by which trees and woodlands are established on sites which were previously unwooded) on areas as small as 1 hectare. EWCO opened for applications on 9 June 2021 and replaces the Woodland Carbon Fund, which closed for applications in March 2021.
3. Woodland Management Plan Grant: Countryside Stewardship
This is a capital grant for farmers and land managers to produce a woodland management plan. The grant is for financial support to produce a woodland management plan that meets UK Forestry Standard requirements, using capital item PA3. Your plan must cover a minimum of 10 years.
Use the Woodland management plan grant manual to understand:
- the aims and benefits of the grant
- who can apply
- how to apply
- requirements and conditions
4. Woodland Tree Health Grant: Countryside Stewardship
Capital grant for farmers and land managers to restock or improve woodland after tree health problems. The grant is for one-off payments towards the cost of:
- restocking woodland after a tree health problem
- felling diseased trees or rhododendron control
Use the Woodland tree health manual to understand:
- the aims and benefits of the grant
- who can apply
- how to apply
- requirements and conditions
Use Countryside Stewardship grants:
- to understand the rules for each option
- for advice on how to carry them out
5. Implementation Plan (PA1) and Feasibility Study (PA2) grants
You can apply for an Implementation Plan or Feasibility Study grant all year.
Implementation Plan and Feasibility Study grants provide funding for more complex agreements and projects. You must speak to a Natural England advisor before applying for one of these grants. To access the application form, click here.
6. Woodland Carbon Guarantee
Unlike most existing woodland creation support mechanisms the WCaG is not a grant or a fund and it does not contribute towards the cost of planning, establishment or early maintenance.
The Woodland Carbon Guarantee (WCaG) is a scheme that aims to help accelerate woodland planting rates and develop the domestic market for woodland carbon for the permanent removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. It is an objective in the 25 Year Environment Plan and was announced in the autumn 2018 Budget.
The WCaG provides you with the option to sell your 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 provides an additional long-term income from your woodland. If you prefer, you can still choose to sell the credits on the open market rather than to the government.
To find out more, you can read the WCaG leaflet here. Find out if you are eligible here.
7. Grants with the Woodland Trust
Click here to see what grants are available through the Woodland Trust for any large scale tree planting projects.
