New Funding Opportunities for Woodlands

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New Funding Opportunities for Woodlands

• Rural Development Programme for England
• The Forestry Sector

Chris Jankiewicz Forestry Commission, South East
Region
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The forestry sector in the region

• Most wooded region in the country
• 2/3rds woodlands privately owned
• 10,000 owners
• Large number of small woodlands
• Nearly half of ancient origin
• Only 39 of annual timber increment in England is
  being harvested

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New Funding Streams in addition to the EWGS

• Rural Development Programme for England
• Opportunities for bringing economics back into
  woodland
• Adding value to woodland products

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• What will RDPE support ? - Purchase of capital
  equipment that will improve the value of
  woodland.
• In-forest harvesting and extraction machinery
  that will provide for enhanced management. For
  example, forwarders, skidders and winches.

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• What will RDPE support? - Adding value to
  forestry products
• primary processing - mobile sawmills or band saws
  for planking
• uptake of the latest technology
• the development and marketing of value-added
  products

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• What will RDPE support ? - Creation of woodfuel
  supply chains
• Projects that help link the woodfuel supply, for
  example chippers and firewood processors.
• Associated infrastructure for storage and supply
  of woodfuel products.

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• What will RDPE support ? - Diversification into
  green tourism and leisure
• Development of new sustainable uses for forestry
  including recreational activity.

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• What will RDPE support ? - Training
• Forestry technical skills
• Business management.

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• Scheme Details
• Up to 40 or 50 grant depending on activity
• Match funding needs to come from the private
  sector
• State Aid issues may limit grant rate depending
  on status of beneficiary.
• Discretionary scheme
• Must identify need for funding and sound
  rationale for intervention

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England Woodland Grant Scheme (EWGS)

• Targeted
• Simplified
• Fits with other grant packages
• Electronic

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What is in EWGS?

• Planning grant
• Assessment grant
• Regeneration grant
• Management grant
• Improvement grant
• Creation grant

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Woodland Planning Grant

• Captures complete picture
• Realise opportunities
• Support certification
• Include all woodlands
• 3 - 30ha 300
• 30 - 100ha 10/ha
• 101 5/ha

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Woodland Assessment Grant
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Woodland Regeneration Grant

• Replanting
• Natural Regeneration
• Direct seeding
• Gapping up
• Can include some
• coppice re-growth

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How WRG works
1760 per ha
Conifer plantation on AWS
Native species on AWS

• Can be done by what ever method
• you prefer
• Natural regeneration is best where
• there is suitable protection and
• evidence of advanced regeneration

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0 per ha
Conifer plantation on AWS
Conifer plantation on AWS
Can still plant conifer on an ancient woodland
site where it exists at the moment but we will
not offer a grant
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Rates of grantavailable

• 1. Starting point
• 2. End result

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Woodland Management Grant

• 30 per ha per year
• Available in ASNW, PAWS
• OSNW woods
• Woods providing public
• access where there is need

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Woodland Improvement Grant
Capital Grants to support work which
benefits Biodiversity SSSI
woodland Access Normally 50 of
standard costs Limited budget, first come basis
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Woodland Creation Grant
1800/ha broadleaf 1200/ha conifer
Additional contribution 500/ha public access
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Summary

• New funding for forestry sector
• Capital investment
• Aimed at economics by adding value to woodlands
  and wood products
• Range of activities that are eligible
• Read the SEEDA website
• Submit and EOI and talk to us