Following a successful pilot scheme over the winter 2013/14, The National Forest Company (NFC) has re-opened its Woodland Management Grant Scheme which is part of an innovative programme to encourage effective woodland management throughout the 200 square miles of The National Forest. The grant scheme aims to offset some of the cost of woodland management works within The National Forest.
The NFC is responsible for the creation of The National Forest, which spans parts of Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Staffordshire. Over eight million trees have been planted since the inception of the Forest in the early 1990s, and, including the existing mature woodland, the Forest now comprises several hundred woodlands.
As the first woodlands to be planted in the Forest approach first thinnings, the NFC has been working to prioritise woodland management as well as woodland creation. The pilot scheme, run during winter 2013/14, was targeted at the management of 15 – 23 year old woodlands, which make up over 1,500 hectares of The National Forest, as well as mature woodland.
As part of the pilot:
- 23 grants were offered, covering c.700Ha of woodland
- Grants were offered up to 75% of fixed standard costs.
- The range of works funded include:
- Ride management (14 schemes)
- Pruning of potential timber trees (9 schemes)
- Redundant rabbit fence and tree guard removal (11 schemes)
- Procurement of grey squirrel traps (4 schemes)
- COT assessments / Management Plans (4 schemes)
- Replacement of interpretation/notice boards (3 schemes)
- Installation of bird/bat & owl boxes (5 schemes)
Details and the application forms can be found at: www.nationalforest.org/woodlands/woodlandmanagement/grant.php
For further information about this programme in The National Forest, contact Charles Robinson on 01283 551211, or email cerobinson@nationalforest.org
