Farmers in Scotland who plant new woodlands will now be able to ask to retain their entitlements under the CAP Single Farm Payment Scheme for a further two years until May 2008.
Farmers' entitlements are consolidated on their remaining agricultural land and those using the facility will still be eligible to apply for grants under the Scottish Forestry Grants Scheme, and Farmland Premium.
Scottish Forestry Minister, Rhona Brankin said;
"We recognise that the changes in the European regulations surrounding agriculture and rural development have caused some people to delay their decisions about whether to plant trees. This new extension to consolidation of single farm payments for afforestation will provide additional encouragement for farmers considering tree planting to go ahead with their woodland creation plans."
Establishing new farm woodlands to diversify the farmed landscape is identified as a priority for action by the Scottish Executive’s Scottish Forestry Strategy. Farm woodlands can also contribute to other objectives and priorities of the Strategy, such as creating networks of native woodlands, contributing to a radical improvement in the quality and setting of towns and villages, expanding the area of well designed, timber-producing forest, and contributing to Scotland's climate change programme.
NOTES TO EDITOR:
- The Scottish Forestry Grants Scheme is administered by Forestry Commission Scotland. It provides a range of grants to help land managers to establish, manage or improve woods and forests. The Farmland Premium is paid by SEERAD and provides annual payments to farmers for up to 15 years in compensation for income foregone from farmland that has been converted to woodland.
- Over the past 5 years, new woodland planting in Scotland has averaged over 8, 000 hectares per annum. With all the new opportunities and changes from CAP reform, and the new Rural Development Regulations, this figure is currently around 5,000 hectares per annum.
- Forestry Commission Scotland serves as the Scottish Executive's forestry department. It manages 666,000 hectares of national forest lands owned by Scottish Ministers for multiple benefits, including timber production, nature conservation and public recreation; supports other woodland owners with grants, felling licences, advice and regulation; promotes the benefits of forests and forestry; and advises Ministers on forestry policy. For further information, visit www.forestry.gov.uk/scotland.
Media enquiries to: Diana McGowan, Forestry Commission Scotland, press office, tel: 0131 314 6507, email: diana.mcgowan@forestry.gsi.gov.uk