Failing England’s woods? Government ‘uproots’ forestry funding scheme

At the beginning of this year the government launched a new forest policy central to which was an aim to double the number of new woods planted each year.

Yet we’ve now learned that the long-established grant scheme which allows landowners to plant new trees has been suddenly and unexpectedly uprooted.

“The government is sleepwalking into an era where England’s woods may start to shrink,” Hilary Allison, head of policy at the Woodland Trust told Channel 4 News.

Campaigners are accusing government of another forest fiasco off the back of bungled plans to sell off the public forest estate that cost the last environment secretary her job.

The lapse in funding for new tree planting could also seriously undermine the government’s stated goal of ensuring England is more resilient to tree diseases like ash dieback.

“The total lack of understanding shown by Defra of the importance of funding the planting of new woods, on top of the recent changes in planning policy that leave ancient woodland at risk from development, is extremely frustrating and very concerning,” said Allison.

The woodland creation grant has been in existence for years. It helps landowners like farmers, local authorities and charities with the up-front costs of planting new trees. Recently, some 6,000 acres of new woods have been planted in England each year as a result of the scheme.

Yet with woodland cover of around 10 per cent, England remains one of the least wooded countries in Europe. The government forest policy called for increasing that cover to 12 per cent by 2060 which on current trends would involved doubling the number of new trees planted each year.

The grant money comes from Europe as part of the common agricultural policy (CAP) – but as part of the process of reforming the CAP spending Defra ministers have created a two-year hiatus in the grant. Once the grant does become available again (which is expected in 2015) there are concerns there may be less money available based on proposed reforms.

Charities like the Woodland Trust who plant trees themselves, as well as help landowners apply for forestry grants, are most directly affected. However, other planting schemes are under threat.

Rugby Borough Council used the grant scheme to fund the planting of their 115 acre “Diamond Wood” to mark the Queen’s Diamond jubilee. The project was so successful it applied for another grant to plant more trees in the town itself. Its initial application was turned down due to a technicality. And now that no new grants will be awarded beyond August it is able to re-apply and has had to abandon plans for urban planting.

A Defra spokesperson said: “Defra will be funding planting in 2014, we are considering applications to fund planting of up to 2,900 hectares of woodland in 2014.  We will be consulting shortly on how we use Common Agricultural Policy funds up to 2020.

“England’s trees, woods and forests are a vital national asset. We are committed to protecting, improving and expanding them. To date the current rural development programme has seen 12,442 hectares of woodland planted and funded through the English Woodland Grant Scheme.”