The English Woodland Grant Scheme (EWGS) is the Forestry Commission's suite of grants designed to develop the co-ordinated delivery of public benefits from England's woodlands. EWGS is supported via the Rural Development Programme for England.
We are open for EWGS applications.
Prospectus 2008, which will set out the full grant provisions for financial year 2009/2010, will be published as soon as available. Please refer to the Prospectuses and grant availability page for further information.
The aims of the EWGS are to:
- sustain and increase the public benefits given by existing woodlands and
- help create new woodlands to deliver additional public benefit.
Before applying for an EWGS both you and your land must be registered.
To apply for a grant:
- choose the appropriate grant(s) from the table below and check the Regional Prospectuses page for availability in your region
- obtain a map as detailed in section 4 of EWGS1 General Guide (PDF 526kb)
- use the Land Information Search (LIS) to inform and improve your application
- check the FAQs and advice if you have any queries.
| Woodland Category | Grant Type | What the grant is for |
|---|---|---|
| Stewardship of existing woodlands | Woodland Planning Grant (WPG) | Preparation of plans that both assist with management of the woodland and meet the UK Woodland Assurance Standard. |
| Woodland Assessment Grant (WAG) | Gathering of information to improve management decisions. | |
| Woodland Regeneration Grant (WRG) | Supporting desirable change in woodland composition through 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. | |
| Creation of new woodlands | Woodland Creation Grant (WCG) | Encouraging the creation of new woodlands where they deliver the greatest public benefits, including annual Farm Woodland Payments to compensate for agricultural income forgone. |
The Forestry Commission operates EWGS under the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE). EWGS is supported with European Union and Defra funding as part of the Defra family of environmental support.
Further information can be found in Funding for Farm Woodlands in England.
