North West landowners are being offered even greater incentives to help make the region greener, thanks to the Forestry Commission’s latest English Woodland Grant Scheme boost of up to £3,800 per hectare.
Following the success of the Scheme in North West England last year, The Forestry Commission is now offering thousands of pounds worth of extra grant aid to those looking to create significant areas of new woodland that can deliver economic, social and environmental value.
The English Woodland Grant Scheme supports landowners providing public benefits including improving public access and biodiversity.
The Forestry Commission really wants to encourage new woodlands in priority areas with high populations, high levels of deprivation and a current lack of public access and landowners can check their eligibility by viewing the Forestry Commission’s ‘Quality of Place’ maps at www.forestry.gov.uk/northwestengland-grants. This additional funding is available to those who can finish planting before the end of March 2010.
North West England has significant areas of social deprivation. Woodland Creation Grants offer the potential to create new accessible woodlands to help improve health and education in the places most in need, as well as helping to generally improve the quality of people’s lives.
The new look scheme will offer additional contributions for Woodland Creation Grants of up to £2,000 per hectare over the next two years giving a total potential grant support of £3,800 per hectare in the target areas. Higher percentage contributions and eased eligibility criteria will also be introduced for other grants within the suite of grants available.
Kevin May, Grants, Regulation and Partnership Manager for the Forestry Commission in North West England, says:
"We’re developing the English Woodland Grant Scheme in the North West to help landowners in ‘Quality of Place’ areas to open up new and existing woodlands on their land to the public to improve access and provide recreation opportunities for better health and well-being.”
This year, additional priority areas for the Forestry Commission’s English Woodland Grant Scheme include woodland bird and butterfly habitats, maintenance and enhancement of Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and ancient woodland expansion. The Forestry Commission are also looking for applications to plant new native woodland near existing ancient woodland and the stewardship of existing woodland that benefits the environment or provides new places for people to enjoy healthy exercise.
Changes to grant rules now allow farmers to continue to receive single farm payments as well as claiming EWGS and Farm Woodland Payments for planting new woodlands on agricultural land.
Woodland Creation Grants can also have an important part to play in solving soil erosion and sedimentation problems in sensitive water catchment areas such as the Lake District’s Bassenthwaite Lake, another EWGS target area.
In the last ten years, grants worth more than £10 million have been given out by the Forestry Commission, leading to the creation of over 5,000 hectares of new woodlands in North West England.
With woodland cover ranging from as little as four per cent to nine per cent across the region, the North West is one of the least wooded areas in England and the proportion of ancient woodland is even less. The minimum area which can be supported is quarter of a hectare (0.25ha).
The closing date for Woodland Creation Grant is 30th September 2009. For all other grants the closing date is 28th February 2010, although they may close early if they are fully subscribed.
The Forestry Commission operates the EWGS under the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE). EWGS is part of the Defra family of environmental support.
Anyone interested in making an application should contact the Forestry Commission on 017687 76616 or email northwest.fce@forestry.gsi.gov.uk. Further information can also be found at www.forestry.gov.uk/northwestengland-grants or www.forestry.gov.uk/ewgs
Ends
NOTES TO EDITORS
1. Images of forests in North West England are attached. Higher resolution versions are available by calling 01524-782086.
2. Forestry Commission England is the government department responsible in England for protecting, expanding and promoting the sustainable management of woods and forests and increasing their value to society and the environment. Forestry makes a real contribution to sustainable development, providing social and environmental benefits arising from planting and managing attractive, as well as productive, woodlands. For further information visit http://www.forestry.gov.uk/northwestengland
3. Forestry Commission England runs the English Woodland Grant Scheme (EWGS) to support and promote the national and regional delivery of forestry policy, as set out in the Government's Rural Strategy. EWGS is part of the Defra family of environmental support. Further information about these schemes can be found at http://www.defra.gov.uk/erdp/schemes/es/default.htm. EWGS is a part of the Rural Development Plan for England (RDPE).
4. The Forestry Commission (FC) North West England (NEW) is a regional arm of the Forestry Commission. It supports the delivery of wide-spread public benefits across the region, using woodland management and creation as the basis for change. The FC NWE region has a diverse remit; as a grant giving body to the woodland sector; the region's forestry regulatory body; helping the region to address climate change by developing wood fuel supply; supporting and developing the region's forest and woodland industries; actively promoting and protecting the Northwest's natural heritage (especially ancient trees and woodlands) and enabling communities across the region to live healthier lives.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Kevin May (Grants, Regulation and Partnership Manager) or Penny Oliver (Policy & Development Officer) on 017687 76616 or 07771 813139 for Kevin or 07786 171654 for Penny.