Defra in woodland creation drive

The Forestry Commission and Defra are drawing attention to the attractive grant schemes and free specialist advice available through their new Put Down Roots campaign.

Woodland creation offers opportunities to diversify, generate extra income, increase farm productivity, and enhance land – without taking the best agricultural land out of use. Grants and support can help with the cost of designing, planting and managing trees. For example, with the England Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO), farmers and landowners could receive over £10,000 for every hectare of new woodland in England.

One of the first places to benefit from the EWCO is Blenheim Estate in Oxfordshire, which has received funding to grow 270,000 trees and is expected to absorb 20,000 tonnes of Co2 over the next 25 years.

“Our new schemes are about supporting the choices that individual farmers and landowners make for their own holdings,” said Victoria Prentis, farming minister. “These grants are available to help farmers and landowners grow and manage more trees as a profitable part of their overall business model, and I would encourage them to look at that support where they feel that it is the right choice for their business.

Forestry Commission Chief Executive, Richard Stanford, said:

“Trees and woodland play a vital role in protecting the planet and help mitigate the increasing threat of climate change and biodiversity loss,” said Richard Stanford, Forestry Commission chief executive. “Creating woods can be an excellent way to diversify farms, especially on marginal land – and there are exciting opportunities to grow and manage trees in a way that maximises the benefits they provide for climate, nature, people and the economy.

"As the government’s forestry experts, we continue to support farmers and landowners in finding ways to grow trees in a way which meets their individual needs and ambitions. I would strongly urge everyone considering woodland creation to look into this promotional drive, contact their local Woodland Creation Officer and start to put down roots, to see the tangible benefits which trees can bring to their business.

The Put Down Roots campaign compliments the government’s wider drive to treble planting rates in England by the end of this Parliament, as part of the commitment to increase planting rates to 30,000 hectares per year across the whole UK by the end of this Parliament.

To hear more about the campaign, please contact woodlandcampaign@defra.gov.uk and view the campaign site here.