Woodland grants and incentives

There are grants and incentives available for woodland creation, and these can include finance for both capital works and annual maintenance payments.

The England Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO) can provide capital grants and 10 years of annual maintenance payments, for areas of at least 1 hectare, with options of additional payments for woodlands that provide public benefits.

The Woodland Creation Planning Grant provides funding and support for the design and planning of new woodland of at least 5 hectares, though this can be made up of smaller blocks of land.

Woodland Carbon Guarantee provides the option to sell your captured carbon in the form of verified carbon credits, called Woodland Carbon Units (WCUs), to the government for a guaranteed price every 5 or 10 years up to 2055/56. It does not provide funding for planning and establishing woodland but can offer a longer term income stream from woodland.

The Woodland Trust are the UK’s largest woodland conservation charity, and are advocates of agroforestry. Agroforestry is a land management approach that combines trees and shrubs with crop and livestock farming systems. This practice delivers a multitude of benefits both for the farm and for nature. The Woodland Trust can provide advice and practical help for incorporating trees into your farm. To talk about trees or agroforestry in Cumbria contact Pete Leeson, Partnerships Manager, Tel: 017687 75060.