SUSTAINABLE FARMING INCENTIVE – PILOT STARTING 2021 – FARM WOODLAND STANDARD

ONE AMBITION LEVEL (£49 per hectare) – Additional payment for some actions

1. COMPLETE A WOODLAND CONDITION ASSESSMENT

Complete a woodland condition assessment once in the first year of your agreement.

One-off extra payment of £100.

You must complete the assessment for all parcels entered in the woodland standard. Each woodland parcel should contain at least one survey plot.

Advice:

complete a woodland condition assessment.

2. ATTEND A WOODLAND THREATS WEBINAR

The webinar covers threats to your woodland such as:

deer
squirrels
pests and diseases

You only need to attend the woodland threats awareness webinar once, ideally in the first year of your agreement.

One-off extra payment of £25.

The webinar will be available from October, when your agreement goes live.

3. CREATE TEMPORARY OPEN SPACES AND MANAGE RIDES

Aim for approximately 15% of each woodland block to be temporary open space – you can have a minimum of 10% and maximum of 20%.

You must not create new open space in ancient woodland.
If you have to fell trees to create open space, you must check if you need a tree felling licence

Advice:

create and manage open space in woodland

OPTIONAL ACTIONS

1. EXPAND YOUR WOODLAND

2. MAINTAIN WOODLAND UNDER 15 YEARS OLD

Plant between 0.1 and 0.5 hectares (ha), on arable or improved grassland next to established woodland only.

To qualify as improved grassland, the sward composition should include at least 2 of the following:

more than 30% cover of rye grasses and white clover
up to 8 species per m², including grasses
less than 10% cover of wildflowers and sedges, excluding white clover, creeping buttercup, docks, thistles and ragwort

Advice:

supply and plant a tree and fencing items to expand your woodland.
plant trees to extend existing woodland

If you maintain areas of woodland planted within the last 15 years you’ll get an extra £200/ha/year.

- Do not use herbicides if you plant trees on land next to a watercourse.
- You can read this advice for help to maintain new tree planting.

Advice:

maintain new tree planting.

These notes, prepared on the 09.07.2021, are only to be used as a part of a wider discussion/decision-making process undertaken with Townsend Chartered Surveyors also giving accompanying advice. TCS cannot be held responsible for their use other than in this context or for any resulting misunderstanding or damages. As a pilot the payment values and actions required may be subject to change as Defra develops the scheme.