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Today (14 December 2022) find out more about Richard Stanford, Chief Executive of the Forestry Commission, who has called for a new approach to trees and forestry in England. Listen to our new podcast ‘Meet the Farmers’, read the new blog post ‘Reflecting on a decade of ash dieback responses in the UK’ and other recent updates.
1. Richard gives the keynote speech at the Stanford CONFOR conference
Find out why he calls for a new approach to how we look at trees and forestry in England.
On Thursday 8 December, Forestry Commission Chief Executive Richard Stanford spoke at the CONFOR conference, calling for a new approach to how we look at trees and forestry in England.
Richard spoke on a range of topics including the economic benefits provided by forestry, increasing tree planting rates and how we are addressing the challenge of creating woodlands and the need for well-planned mixed woodlands.
To read more please see the press release: Forestry Commission chief executive calls for a new mindset in our approach to trees.
Well-managed broadleaf woodlands provide habitat for a wide range of flora and fauna. Conifer and mixed woodlands also contribute to biodiversity. – Richard Stanford, Chief Executive of the Forestry Commission.
2. The Forestry Commission teams up with Ben Eagle for the ‘Meet the Farmers’ podcast
Listen to the podcast.
We’ve teamed up with rural affairs journalist and podcaster Ben Eagle to produce a podcast series about trees on farms with tips on how farmers can make the most of the opportunities available. Over three episodes on the Meet the Farmers podcast, Ben and co-host John Burgess, our Local Partnerships Advisor and Woodland Resilience Officer for the South West, foresters and farmers explore those opportunities and ask what more can be done to help farmers. Most of the trees on their land.
3. Reflecting on a decade of ash dieback responses in the UK
See our recent blog post reflecting on a decade of ash dieback responses in the UK by Barnaby Wilder, Plant Health Forestry Lead in the North West of England. In this blog he reflects on ten years of handling ash dieback cases and what the future may hold for our ash trees.
4. Minimum payment for Countryside Stewardship Woodland Improvement (WD2) contracts
Find out how this could change your payment.
The Countryside Stewardship (CS) Higher Tier (HT) option for Woodland Improvement (WD2) has been updated to introduce a minimum payment of £1000 for contracts commencing 01/01/2023. This means that if you have between 3 and 10 hectares of WD2 in your contract, the annual payment you receive will be increased to at least £1000.
We have done this to encourage small woodland owners to bring their land into active management and we are pleased to see contract offers being issued by the RPA in preparation for contracts starting next year. Where land falls within the said range to qualify for the minimum payment, the contract offer will show the actual area and payment applied for WD2, ie, WD2x £100, as we use the scheme administering system to report. on actual land under the scheme. Your contract offer will contain a sentence to assure you that the minimum payment will apply:
“All WD2 applications between areas of 3ha and 10ha will be paid at a minimum of £1000. This document will continue to detail the values applied for and not the confirmed minimum payment value.”
Please be assured, where applicable, the minimum payment will be made accordingly.
5. Formulation of Woodland Management Plan
Check out this update.
If you are drafting a Woodland Management Plan (WMP) with a view to applying for Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CS HT), we have created a new checking aid to support the process of drafting this plan. This help will help you understand what to include to ensure you cover all relevant information in your WMP to enable a CS HT application – as your WMP must support and validate your application. It is available on GOV.UK: Create a woodland management plan under the How to create your plan section.
6. Farm Woodland Scheme Update
We are updating our terms and conditions and will be in touch with contract holders.
From 1 January 2023, ‘legacy’ farm woodland schemes will no longer be funded using EU money. Moving to direct Exchequer funding will allow us to relax some of the rules, but will require us to change all contractual terms and conditions. The changes will be minimal, but will hopefully reduce the number of fines we need to enforce and the number of re-claims. The revised terms and conditions will be available to view on GOV.UK in February 2023. We will contact all contract holders and active agents with further details in the New Year.
We are:
- Writing to all contract holders with outstanding payments, informing them of changes in Exchequer funding.
- Following this with letters to all active agents in the new year.
- Sending advisory letters to all other contract holders whose plans are still under obligation. This will happen in early 2023.
More specific information will be available from mid-February.
7. Problem signing agent authority form
We are working to find a solution.
We are currently experiencing a technical issue which means we are unable to process pending and incoming customer requests to electronically sign our agent authority forms. If you need to sign the form immediately please follow the instructions on the Agent Authority Forms page.
We apologize for the inconvenience and are working to resolve it as soon as possible.
8. Woods for Nature – Broughton Hall Case Study Webinar
Book your place now!
Woodlands provide a unique and diverse habitat that thousands of species call home. Trees not only support wildlife – they help sustain healthy ecosystems, maintain climate regulation and protect soil – playing a supporting role in nature’s recovery.
If you are a landowner interested in woodland creation, join Professor Alastair Driver to hear more about the Broughton Hall project and how it is progressing.
Date: Wednesday, 11 January 2023
Time: 10-11 am
Book your ticket
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