This National Careers Week, Mark West from the Green Task Force looks back at his career so far, and how he made the change from being in uniformed service to working in forestry and conservation.
I’m a veteran of 12 years uniformed service that’s seen both operational service and active duty across the Fire Service, Royal Marines, and the Police Force. I came to a point in my uniformed career where I felt a change was needed and found myself working for the Green Task Force, an organisation that helps veterans and service leavers into work within the land-based sector.
The work is predominantly woodland creation but also covers woodland management and various conservation projects with teams based in the North West of England, East Riding of Yorkshire & Humberside along with South Wales and a new team developing within the North East of England. The Green Task Force has been gathering steady momentum and is currently a delivery Partner for the Mersey Forest, Humber Forest and White Rose Community Forest Trusts.
For the last two years, I’ve been the North West regional Operations Manager and Head Ranger of the Green Task Force. I found myself thrust into a sector that had drawn me to it for a long time, but I also became ingrained working for a project that was very close to my heart.
As a young man that had grown up within the countryside, life felt it had truly come full circle. My time served within the forestry industry may be considered very junior to some but I’m an individual that always keeps personal development high on the agenda and therefore I thoroughly enjoy any opportunity to learn as both a student and a manager within the sector.
I applied for funding through the Forestry Training Fund (now the Forestry and Arboriculture Training Fund) when it launched at the start of last year. The funding played a key role in supporting both my own personal development and my team’s. It allowed my team to expand their capabilities and improve their confidence which also aids their recovery. Veterans and service leavers naturally take to working outside, particularly within forestry and outdoor environments. Working outside has many synergies with mainstream military service, so it becomes very nostalgic, and provides a sense of belonging within the working environment.
Having the opportunity to significantly upskill has been golden. I used the Training Fund by focusing on my skill gaps, and where it would not just enhance my own personal development, but would also make my team’s employability a much broader offering enabling us to secure work on a wider scale - work which we would have normally let slip past us . Both current team members and new employees have taken full advantage of the opportunity to upskill and increase their own capability. The confidence it has given my team is fantastic, it also really opened the employability for the new team members and created a whole new energy within the workforce.
My career to date has seen many opportunities arise within the sector, but also supported me significantly in my own personal growth. The professional network has been incredibly supportive and continues to enhance my learning through an amazing community of devoted enthusiasts. I would strongly recommend to any veteran, service leaver, or anyone simply wishing to develop a new skill, to look at a career within Forestry, woodland management and conservation.
If you're interested in a career at the Forestry Commission, search our current vacancies on the Civil Service Jobs website.
Back in September 2023 we announced our new approach to how we consult or seek advice and information on forestry proposals. This published statement set out how the Forestry Commission, on behalf of the Forestry Commissioners, will undertake consultation when assessing applications for woodland creation, tree felling and management.
These changes will deliver efficient decision making and accelerate application processing times. They will simplify evidence gathering for forestry proposals and avoid duplication, whilst still adhering to other environmental legislation and good practice guidelines.
We are pleased to advise that the first phase for implementing this new approach (phase 1a and 1b see table below) will be implemented today (26 February 2024). This will include the shortening of the consultation public register timescales from 28 days to 21 days, and only seeking advice and information from non-statutory consultees when necessary.
The changes to the consultation approach are outlined in the Forestry Commissioners' statement on consultation procedures for forestry applications.
Our previous blog published on the 18 September 2023 on the Forestry Commission’s new approach to consultation on forestry applications, sets out our commitment to using existing ways of working until our internal guidance and business processes had been reviewed and amended .
The Forestry Commission will roll out the revised approach over the coming months, further announcements will be made as these changes are introduced. These changes will be implemented using a phased approach.
You can see the full list of changes and dates below:
Phase | Change | Dates |
---|---|---|
Phase 1a |
Shortened consultation public register periodSystem changes will be made to shorten the time woodland creation grants and felling licence applications will be on the public register (from 28 to 21 days) |
26 February 2024 |
Phase 1b |
The FC will only seek advice or information when needed
|
26 February 2024 |
Phase 2 |
Introduction of ‘consult only once’
|
Spring 2024 TBC |
Phase 3 |
Review implementation of new consultation processAfter one year of implementation, review how successful changes have been and whether amendments are required |
Spring 2025 TBC |
If you wish to stay up to date on future announcements subscribe to email alerts or subscribe to our blog.
]]>Amanda Newsome, Biodiversity Net Gain advisor at the Forestry Commission, talks about the introduction of this ambitious new government policy and some of the benefits it can bring for England’s trees and woodlands.
From 12th February 2024 major Town and Country Planning Act developments in England must deliver a Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) This means for the very first time, new developments will need to make sure they have a positive impact on nature. All habitats will be recognised in the planning system for their value for wildlife and people, leading to positive outcomes for nature, better places for local communities and more consistent and transparent requirements for developers.
Here at the Forestry Commission, we are excited at the opportunities BNG brings, not just for planting more trees and woodlands, but protecting those we already have and encouraging their management for nature recovery.
Developers must already comply with policies protecting the natural environment, such as avoiding impacts on irreplaceable habitats including ancient woodland and ancient and veteran trees, and compensating for their loss or deterioration.
None of these existing protections will change because of BNG, but safeguards built into the biodiversity metric will bring an extra layer of protection for our UK Biodiversity Action Plan priority habitat woodlands (Habitats of Principal Importance), because any loss of these will have to be compensated on a like-for-like basis. For example, if your development impacts an upland oak wood, you must compensate with biodiversity units of the same upland oak woodland type.
From Forestry Commission KPI data we know that, since 2015, development has been responsible for approximately half of the total woodland loss recorded in England. Through these inbuilt safeguards, BNG could have a really positive effect in reversing the current rates of woodland loss due to development.
BNG also has the potential to help deliver the Environmental Improvement Plan target of increasing tree canopy cover to 16.5% by 2050 through both woodland creation and tree planting.
Planting trees is an attractive option for any developer to consider because each tree planted adds to the proportion of their 10% net gain they can deliver ‘on-site’, within their development boundary.
We will continue to work with Local Planning Authorities and industry specialists to signpost developers toward best-practice guidance around tree choice, siting and establishment when planting trees within new developments, to give them the best chance of growing to maturity, contributing to nature recovery and climate resilience in our towns and cities.
Creating new woodlands will also deliver net gains. As a rule, the higher the proportion and the wider the variety of native species you plant, the greater the number of biodiversity units you can generate. These new woodlands won’t always be within a development – many will be 'off-site', planted by land managers wanting to generate income by selling biodiversity units from their land to developers who can’t deliver their 10% net gain 'on-site'.
If you are a land manager thinking of using BNG to fund your new woodland planting, make sure you read the woodland creation section of the Biodiversity Metric User Guide. This includes advice on which woodland types to use in your metric calculations and the importance of setting a realistic target condition for the woodland you are planting.
Equally important is the potential for BNG to provide financial returns for bringing existing woods and trees into management to increase their biodiversity. The latest Forestry Commission KPI data for 2022-23 suggests that only 58% of our woods are being sustainably managed and less than 10% of our native woodlands are in good ecological condition.
BNG can provide an economic return for managing your woods for a 30-year period, giving a guaranteed income over that time. It can also fund the restoration of Plantations on Ancient Woodland Sites (PAWS), some of our most important woodland sites, replacing the non-native, planted trees with native species.
We have been working on a couple of things to help land managers and woodland owners take advantage of the opportunities from BNG. We will provide guidance on how BNG can work alongside the England Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO) and we are developing an App to help assess woodland condition for BNG.
In the meantime BNG guidance for land managers, Local Planning Authorities and developers is available.
There are still uncertainties about the size of the market for Biodiversity Units and the prices they might fetch. But, given that there are tens of thousands of planning permissions granted in England each year, we’re confident that BNG will contribute towards delivering more and better managed trees and woodland in England in the future.
To learn more about BNG and how developers and land managers can use it to fund habitat creation and management see published guidance on Biodiversity net gain and sign up to the Defra Environment blog to receive future updates.
Jonathan Tizzard, an Enforcement Investigator for the Forestry Commission, talks about the first ever Restocking Order after conviction as a Magistrates Court orders a landowner to replant a site of illegal felling.
The felling of trees is an important part of good woodland management and key to a healthy woodland, but we need to make sure it is done legally to avoid detrimental effects to the both the wood itself and the wider environment.
I am an Enforcement Investigator working within the Forestry Commission’s National Enforcement team. Having transitioned from a long career as a Police Detective investigating other serious crime types, I am now using my skills and experiences to help tackle forestry related crime, which is on the rise.
The National Enforcement team primarily investigate reports of alleged illegal felling of trees and failure to comply with Enforcement Notices issued under the Forestry Act 1967. Ultimately our goal is to bring offenders to justice, deter future offending and repair the damage to the environment caused by illegal acts using legislation that is available to us.
On the 1 January 2023, the penalties for illegal felling changed and a recent case has resulted in the first ever Restocking Order after conviction being issued under Section 24B of the Forestry Act 1967 by a Magistrates Court.
This court order is the culmination of hard work by our Regulations team which sought the changes to the Forestry Act 1967 (through the Environment Act 2021). It is groundbreaking news for the protection of our trees and woodlands and has been a long time in the making.
Following a conviction for failing to comply with the requirements of an Enforcement Notice issued under Section 24B of the Forestry Act 1967, we are now able to make an application to the court for a Restocking Order. If granted, these orders are seen in the same way as other court orders. It’s something the defendant has to do.
If they don’t comply, the court can now deal with them for contempt of court under Section 63(3) of the Magistrates’ Courts Act 1980. This means the court can impose a further financial penalty or even a custodial sentence.
In December 2023, a court of law ordered a landowner to replant the site of an illegal felling with trees or face further consequences from the court. This order was made after the defendant failed to comply with a Section 24 Enforcement Notice issued by us.
More routinely, the courts deal with assaults, thefts, frauds and other more commonly heard of matters, and often don’t understand the impact of environmental crimes. This court order marks a change in that. Not only will the defendant need to replant the trees, but they need to maintain those trees for 10 years too.
It’s fantastic to see the result of such sustained hard work putting another effective tool in the enforcement and regulatory toolbox, taking pride of place alongside the Clinometer, logger’s tape, recording equipment (and sandwiches!).
In this landmark case, an area of Ancient Woodland was felled in 2018 at Burley’s Wood in Crawley, West Sussex, for suspected development reasons. A Section 17A Restocking Notice and subsequent Enforcement Notice were issued to the company responsible for the felling who then sold the land to Stables Farm Park Ltd.
Evidence unearthed during the investigation revealed that Stables Farm Park Ltd knew about the Enforcement Notice when they acquired the land but chose to ignore it. As such we served a further Enforcement Notice on them. They did not comply with the Notice and left the site in a devastated state.
Ultimately Stables Farm Park Ltd pleaded guilty to the offence after excuses they made were rebutted.
Working together, the National Enforcement team and Regulations Manager were able to make an application to the court through Defra Investigation Services for a court Restocking Order to be granted.
We explained that the order was required to reinstate the area to woodland, that it was compliant with the UK Forestry Standard (UKFS) and was the right thing for the local and national community.
As well as the restocking order being granted the defendant was also ordered to pay costs and a fine totalling £5,000 by the court.
Well, not only can this site now not be developed, but the offender’s wallet has been significantly impacted. They’ve incurred the fine, along with having to pay hefty legal costs along with now needing to pay the planting and maintenance costs.
For what?? It really wasn’t worth buying that land to develop.
Other positive changes made to the Forestry Act 1967 in January 2023 mean that Section 17A Restocking Notices and Section 24 Enforcement Notices are now Local Land Charges. This means that any conveyancer worth their salt will inform prospective purchasers that such a Notice is present on the land – perhaps influencing whether they want to buy the land, or the price that they want to offer for it.
Coupled with the above, Section 24 Enforcement Notices can also now be issued to the next estate or interest holder if the land is sold during the life of the Notice – ensuring that we get those trees back in the ground.
All of the measures mentioned serve as a real deterrent to others thinking of making a quick profit through illegal felling.
Find out more about why our local environment needs protecting with felling laws in our blog post Tree Felling – Do you know right from wrong?
During National Apprenticeship Week 2024, our panel of apprentices and experts from the Forestry Commission, Institute of Chartered Foresters and University of Cumbria led a live Twitter/X chat to answer your questions about the Professional Forester Apprenticeship.
The sector needs hundreds of new Professional Foresters to meet the legally binding planting targets, so the future job prospects are very good. Forestry Commission jobs are advertised on Civil Service Jobs.
Gareth
It's a growing sector and given the legally binding government target to hit 16% tree cover by 2050, we need more recruits! Take a look at the Institute of Chartered Foresters Job Board for current opportunities.
Rob
There is no maximum age limit, but it would be expected that applicants would complete the three-year apprenticeship and spend some time in the sector before retirement.
Gareth
The ages of our current cohort ranges from 18 to 53.
Emily D
There might be scope to move into an ecology type of role in the future after the 3-year apprenticeship has been completed. The qualification awarded is similar to our BSc (Hons) Forest Management course and there is a Woodland Ecology module in 2nd year. Forest Health is also covered in 2nd year and Climate Smart Forestry in 3rd year.
Emily D
We are building up the list of work experience placements which could include potentially more ecology focused placements with Forestry England and Forest Research.
Gareth
Each Forest Services area team within the Forestry Commission has an Ecologist.
Catherine
At present we have a level 3 apprenticeship and the level 6 degree apprenticeship. The Trailblazer group is going to be working on level 4/5 provision next.
Rob
A Masters level is not in the pipeline, however we are working with the potential providers of a distance learning Masters offer.
Gareth
There are very few opportunities for level 7 apprenticeships in any sector (I'm only aware of Senior Leader, Architecture and Solicitor related Masters qualifications) so it would definitely be a distance learning/part-time Masters course if the University of Cumbria offers anything in the future.
Emily D
Within the level 6 apprenticeship, there is a module on practical forestry skills that focuses on fencing, hand tools etc. Chainsaw operator or supervisor may depend on the host employer and what they need, but it does not form part of the essential level 6 content.
Tom
We do not teach the practical elements of things such as chainsaw use on the level 6 but we do cover the skills needed to manage these types of operation. The level 3 apprenticeship, however, focuses on those practical skills.
Gareth
Yes, the level three is the forest craftsperson apprenticeship.
Rob
We will be advertising for up to 12 x level 3 apprentices based in England (locations to be confirmed) on Civil Service Jobs in the spring.
Gareth
I was not from a forestry or conservation background, therefore I spent the previous year gaining some experience on weekends with local conservation groups managing woodlands and nature reserves. I found this beneficial and included this within my application.
Emily H
I did some volunteering which I included on my application, although I was working full-time and could not dedicate as much time as I would have liked. It's definitely beneficial but some jobs have transferrable skills - co-ordinating projects, time management, conflict resolution for example. I would say volunteer if you can, but not everyone is able to.
Tom
Volunteering was where I got my passion for managing woodlands and I was able to demonstrate this on my application. If you are able to get involved, I would highly recommend it.
Mark
Definitely some volunteer work or relevant activity is beneficial. Essentially something that demonstrates your passion for the subject will be advantageous to the application. How much you can do depends on your circumstances.
Duncan
We are looking for people passionate about making a difference in the environment, so evidence of being involved with environmental projects, volunteering with Forestry England, the Woodland Trust and the likes of local wildlife organisations would be helpful.
Gareth
Show that you're passionate and that you're willing to get involved practically - volunteering is the best way to do this.
Tom
Google applying for civil service posts to help familiarise yourself with the style of answers expected. Read the job description and person spec and show how you meet the requirements and how passionate you are about this role and opportunity.
Emily H
At the assessment centre (in Cannock) we were set tasks throughout the day, including a formal interview, group work, written assessments and a woodland walk. Everyone was welcoming and put us at ease. They just want to get the best out of everyone. It was enjoyable.
Emily H
The assessment centre is a day long, with a mix of formal interviews, a woodland walk, written tasks, groups task and a competition. This mix and time allows everyone to fully engage. We aim to create a welcoming environment to allow us to see the best of all applicants.
Gareth
Each module has a one week teaching block every two months, and there are other opportunities for further learning offered by Forestry Commission.
Catherine
Life is too short to not try something different especially if you are passionate about it, go for it. It is definitely worth it!
Emily H
Embarking on this career change journey has been without doubt the best work choice I've made. Getting outdoors and having a career in nature is well worth it!
Tom
It's the most forward-thinking, engaging, enjoyable programme I have had the pleasure to be involved with in nearly 36 years in the sector. I'm surrounded by amazing passionate people making the most of opportunities & looking to make a difference which is very inspiring.
Gareth
If you have a passion for trees, forestry & woodlands and want to contribute to improving our environment, I can't think of a better way to gain the necessary knowledge and experience. It's been far more than I expected and would encourage anyone considering it to apply.
Duncan
Put in an application! The forestry sector offers a huge variety of opportunities, between time with trees and great people - it is a winning move!
Catherine
Joining the Forestry Commission was definitely the right career move for me, I have been given so many great opportunities and work with a fantastic bunch of people.
Mark
Applications to the Professional Forester Apprenticeship for a September 2024 start close at 11.55pm on Sunday 18 February. Find out more and apply now.
Bella Murfin and Naomi Matthiessen are job share directors for the Nature for Climate Fund Tree Programme in Defra. Here they look back at the last 6 months delivering the government’s commitment to treble tree planting in England by the end of 2025.
Time flies when you’re having fun, or so the saying goes – time also flies when you’re running a major programme, and we can hardly believe that we’re just a few months away from the last year of the Nature for Climate Programme as we know it!
We’ve been as busy as ever since our last blog in July 2023 and wanted to use this one to reflect a bit on the highs and lows of almost 4 years, and our hopes for 2024/25.
As we write, the recent freeze has passed and Storms Isha and Jocelyn have blown through the country. All this noteworthy weather has a real impact on the delivery of tree planting schemes, which is one of the many reasons that planting rates have been, and will continue to be, unpredictable.
None-the-less, we’re on track to build on the success of last year’s planting season, where we saw 40% more trees go in the ground, year-on-year. We are still aiming to treble rates over the lifetime of the programme and, whilst it’s going to be hugely challenging, we can’t help but be proud of how far the tree programme team has come.
The first thing that feels different to the early days of Nature for Climate is that we now have solid foundations to build the future upon – bigger, stronger teams in core Defra, Forestry Commission, Natural England and Community Forests all striving to identify the best places to plant and establish new trees and woodland, working with landowners and managers right across the country. We have created new jobs in Forestry and related sectors over the last 4 years, with more to come in the future (see our forestry apprenticeship programme)- the roots of this programme will run deep.
And more people know now that there’s never been a better time to plant trees – our Put Down Roots campaign has been promoting the benefits of tree planting and woodland creation to farmers and landowners across England, encouraging them to apply for tree planting grants, and access expert advice from local Woodland Creation Partners. You can read more about this in Farmers Weekly.
This support from farmers and landowners is a vital plank of our work acknowledging that it takes specialist knowledge to grow our treescape in ways that will generate the most benefits, for climate, and people. Farmers like Ben Andrews, Ally Hunter Blair, Jimmy Doherty, Joe Seels, and Tom Martin have been sharing their experiences of putting trees on their farms, helping to bring things to life. And we’ve been giving more people access to training via the Trees and Arboriculture Training Fund that will help them to grow and manage trees effectively.
In September we launched the Woodland Management Matters campaign which aimed to encourage existing woodland owners and those considering woodland creation to adopt sustainable woodland management practices, increase the number of woodlands that are actively managed and prevent neglect by giving woodland owners the information, support, advice and confidence they need to effectively manage their woodland.
The other strong root we’ve put down, perhaps the tap root, is our legally binding target to increase tree and woodland canopy cover to at least 16.5% of England by 2050. This is a clear commitment to long-term action on Trees, as described in the Environmental Improvement Plan.
From making it quicker to plant a tree, to ensuring our grant schemes are providing longer-term funding for the establishment of new woodlands, to helping realise the big ambitions for Local Authorities tree cover in their areas through the Woodland Creation Accelerator Fund, the tree programme team is always monitoring, learning, listening and adjusting. We know we won’t always get things right first time, but we will keep working to make things better.
This ‘can do’ attitude made it possible for the team to pull out all the stops and launch our £2.5 million Coronation Living Heritage fund to commemorate the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III. The fund is creating green spaces and connecting communities with nature as a reminder of the Coronation, and a fitting tribute to his lifetime of advocacy for nature and the environment. We look forward to sharing the results with you in our next blog!
Four years of the Tree Programme means four years of involvement in National Tree week, and we have seen them go from strength to strength. The most recent one ran earlier in the winter, and saw new woodlands, improved woodland access, and greater protections for street trees announced in a Defra press release as part of the celebrations.
During the 2023 National Tree Week there was the announcement of a £16 million boost in funding for Forest Research giving an insight into, and underpinning the importance of, Research and Development to the work of the NCF Programme. Scientific research will leave a lasting legacy of knowledge that will have far-reaching benefits. Newly funded projects are helping us better understand how trees interact with soils, each other, and the wider environment. There is so much that we still need to learn, and partnerships with Forest Research, Royal Botanic Kew Gardens, University of Gloucester and University of Reading and the advice of our expert Trees and Woodland Science Advisory Group are helping us understand more all the time.
Along with all of the work described above, we’re seeing more trees than ever becoming part of our landscape.
We estimate that 15 million trees have been planted since the start of the programme with nearly 5 million in the last year alone. It’s an extraordinary achievement, and testament to the effort and collaboration of hundreds of people. That includes those in our network of Community Forests, who have created around half of the hectares of new woodland funded by the programme so far.
Defra and England’s Community Forests welcomed two new Community Forests into the network during National Tree Week, Tees Valley and Derbyshire Heartwood. The new forests will build on the success of the 13 existing Community Forests across England and will contribute to the government’s tree planting targets. They are bringing people closer to nature in and around some of the most nature-deprived parts of the country.
With that ambition in mind, government recently launched a competition for a new national forest as part of an ambitious package to help people across the country access nature.
Communities will be able to put their local areas forward to become a new Forest for the Nation, with the winning location receiving up to £10 million to help fund the project. This will build on the success of the National Forest in the Midlands, which spans 200 square miles across parts of Derbyshire, Leicestershire, and Staffordshire.
As well as helping to deliver on biodiversity net gain, the Forest will champion the role of local communities and organisations in driving forward the forest’s creation, management, and delivery of important social and economic benefits, including tourism. It will, in time, bring communities together by gifting them an authentic sense of ownership over their local woodlands and green spaces.
Another area where we’re so pleased with the great progress that’s been made over recent years is on getting more domestic timber into our built environment. We closed the door on 2023 with the launch of our Timber in Construction Roadmap which is one of many excellent examples of how tree programme team spans more than the Defra group. Collaborating with other government departments, the construction and insurance sectors, wood processors, academic institutions and many more, we’ve co-created a pathway that will see us address knowledge gaps and take action to increase the safe use of timber in construction, locking up carbon and providing many other benefits.
Increasing our timber security is vital to meeting our demand for timber and wood-based products. We’re pleased to have engaged with the Industry Leadership Group on the National Wood Strategy, also launched at the end of 2023. Highlighting opportunities for innovation and growth in a sector that has strong potential to positively contribute to net zero, biodiversity gain, housing, and health, this is just the beginning of positive, long-term, cross-sector conversations that will see a thriving and resilient forestry sector through collaboration.
2023 was the latest in an action-packed few years for us, our team, and our delivery partners. We are looking ahead to 2024 with lots of hope for even higher planting rates, more progress on transforming the Forestry sector, and strengthening those foundations of Nature for Climate. As the roots of all our efforts grow ever stronger, we hope the branches of its impact continue to spread and flourish.
If you’re a landowner, forester, or farmer we urge you to look at what’s on offer to create woodland and find out if you’re eligible to apply.
]]>Tristan O’Leary, Communications Lead for environmental mapping company Land App, talks about the EWCO Checker Tool, their new digital mapping tool to help boost woodland creation.
Supporting landowners and managers to access funding for sustainable practices is central to Land App’s mission, and our new England Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO) Checker Tool is no exception.
This new digital mapping tool, created in partnership with the Forestry Commission, allows landowners and managers to easily plan where they might integrate trees on their land. It highlights where they could benefit from additional stackable payments from the Forestry Commission’s flagship grant, the England Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO), whilst also benefiting the wider environment.
Accessed through a free digital map, the new EWCO Checker Tool visually shows landowners and managers, down to individual field parcel level, what EWCO additional contribution payments they might receive, if the area is eligible for tree planting. Additional contributions are extra payments of up to £8,000 per hectare for new woodlands that help mitigate climate change, deliver nature recovery benefits, or provide wider environmental and social benefits.
The tool also includes 100-year estimates for how much carbon they could capture through a proposed woodland creation site, using figures and methods from the Woodland Carbon Code. The WCC is a government-backed scheme that enables carbon sequestered by new woodland creation projects to be sold in the voluntary carbon market, adding an extra income stream for landowners.
One of the greatest challenges of agricultural transition is giving people on the ground the tools to easily understand their options for the future – in both an environmental and a business context. At Land App, we designed the EWCO Checker Tool with landowners, managers and agents in mind. We wanted to make the EWCO pre-application and planning process as intuitive and accessible as possible.
We work closely with agents such as Nicholsons, a family business offering environmental and ecological consultancy, who have been trialling the new tool.
They told us:
Having the ability to assess whole land holdings for woodland creation potential and generate a report and a map of all available areas, is so incredibly useful. The tool automatically buffers out unavailable or sensitive areas, such as Scheduled Monuments, as well as buffering areas around existing woodland that are suitable for Natural Colonisation.
The EWCO Checker Tool is an excellent way to see what EWCO additional contributions are available and therefore, what grant funding it could achieve. It speeds up what was a slow, manual process. This allows us to help potential applicants much more quickly and more accurately.
Once Land App users have generated a woodland creation report and assessed any woodland creation potential, they can accurately draw plans using their Land Registry ownership boundary lines to guide them. Using the Woodland Creation template, they can plot areas as certain habitat types, as well as include capital items available through EWCO, such as vehicle gates and fencing.
The EWCO Checker tool is designed for everyone, whether you’re an individual farmer, a public body, or a larger business supporting clients through their woodland creation journey. It flags where you might have the most straightforward and economically beneficial route to a successful woodland creation application.
The EWCO Checker Tool summary is of course subject to meeting the eligibility requirements as detailed in the EWCO Grant Manual and all EWCO applications will be reviewed by the Forestry Commission. However, the tool empowers people to navigate some of these requirements and helps visualise tree planting plans with greater ease, before seeking further advice or speaking to their local Forestry Commission Woodland Officer or following up with the Woodland Carbon Code.
Learn more about the EWCO Checker Tool, or if you have any questions for the Land App team, please get in touch at support@thelandapp.com.
The EWCO Checker Tool has been built in partnership with the Forestry Commission and the Woodland Carbon Code and is now available, for free in the Land App. Currently, the tool is only applicable for land in England that is registered with a Single Business Identifier (SBI) number. It provides an estimated value of what a landowner or manager might receive and is in no way a binding or guaranteed summary of payment.
MacBradan Bones is a Woodland Officer for the Forestry Commission based in the East and East Midlands Area. Here he shares his tips for managing your woodland in winter.
Winter is here and with it comes the tree planting season. It’s acknowledged as the best time to plant trees as it allows time for the roots to establish as they will keep growing through the milder winter days. Even though the top of the tree is dormant in winter, root growth is crucial for the trees’ survival if we suffer a spring drought.
If you’re a woodland owner, it can also be the perfect time to get outside and check how your woodland has fared over the growing season. Here’s our tips for the best management practices to carry out in winter.
It can be hard to know where to start during these cold months, so we’ve put together our top 5 tips for managing your woodland this Winter.
If you have any areas of new planting, now is the time to ‘beat up’ any trees which haven’t survived the summer. Taking the time to count your trees and replant any which have died can be done through the winter months ready for the next growing season. Newly planted trees are particularly vulnerable for the first 3 years or so as their roots are not yet well enough established to find water during droughts or prolonged dry spells. You can also take this opportunity to check if there is any one species not thriving on the site and look to replace them with a different better-adapted tree.
Now is also a good time for your trees’ annual check-up. The lack of leaves and reduction in ground vegetation can reveals the presence of squirrel nests and of bark damage, particularly at the junction of big branches and the main stem, and it can also make it easier to spot where deer may be coming and going.
In mature woodland many fungi species will be fruiting. During the cold season, in deciduous woodland after leaf-fall, the brackets and toadstools of various fungi are easier to spot on the stems, crown and around the bases and roots of trees. Many are harmless or even beneficial, but many others can kill trees and even whole stands if not dealt with. Getting to know the ones that are harmful with a bit of reading up on tree pests and diseases, can be a good way to spend a wet day indoors.
After a summer’s compaction along paths and rides, winter rains can reveal where they need attention as the water will not drain away in these places. If the ground is soft then damage can occur if you work on it now so make a note of what’s needed and plan for this later in the season while the ground is hard with frost, or during the following spring when access is easier on a drier soil.
The soft ground is beneficial if you have any fence posts or the like that need replacing. Now is an easy time to do it, however, avoid using heavy machinery or taking too many trips up and down rides whilst doing it, to keep damage to a minimum.
Winter is a good season for felling, so if you have a felling licence any tree work can start. Felling trees without a licence, where one would have been required, is an offence so make sure you check if you need one prior to any work taking place. If you are a firewood producer and you have an area for seasoning and processing, firewood orders are likely to be coming in fast so, if you haven’t already sold out, firewood can be loaded up ready for sale and any wood for seasoning stacked in the dry. Do be aware of the new regulations to ensure firewood is sufficiently well-seasoned to reduce air pollution with the Ready to Burn scheme.
It's also cooler, making the hard physical work of felling and coppicing a little easier!
The lack of vegetation makes moving around the wood a lot easier and now birds have finished nesting there’s no risk of accidentally disturbing them. However, be aware that other animals may be using the wood to shelter or hibernate. Of particular importance in woodland are bats and common dormice (although all wildlife is protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981) so great care should be taken not to disturb them if they are present.
As a woodland owner you want to ensure your trees remain healthy throughout the year, but wet winter weather can increase the risk of tree diseases being spread as some diseases need water to disperse, and mud on boots and tyres can transfer diseases from place to place. Practise good biosecurity at all times and make sure your boots and equipment are cleaned before you start any work and before you leave the site. If you have visitors to your woodland, make sure they do the same. It’s a great idea to always have a simple biosecurity kit on hand.
Finally, and most importantly, make time to go out and enjoy the stark, quiet beauty of the woods in winter. The cold weather and long nights can make it hard to spend time outdoors but it’s important to remember all the health benefits getting out can bring. Woodlands are fantastic for our physical and mental health, and watching your woodland thrive in the coldest season can be incredibly rewarding.
]]>In 1989, I planted a hectare of mixed native broadleaved trees including ash, oak, grey alder, field and Norway maple to create Bullens Wood in Dunsby, South Lincolnshire. Bullens Wood was planted in a field corner that had been uncropped for three years and the biggest obstacle to its establishment was rank weed growth, mainly grasses.
The trees were protected with 60cm spiral guards and supported by 90cm canes which allowed spot spraying with Glyphosate around all trees for the first two years. Ash was used for beating up (replacement of newly planted trees) after the first year only, and it took two or three years of maintenance to get the wood established.
I had a good look at the woodland in 2010 and discovered that I had some very promising timber trees growing tall and straight. Some of the oaks were being out competed by faster growing trees but those that remained were the best of the best.
I realised that I would have to do some thinning straightaway to save the remaining oak and allow the best ash and Norway maple to develop broad healthy crowns. The grey alder produces much fewer cones than common alders and so were of less value to seed eating birds.
I had to start thinning to allow the oaks to develop. This, combined with the fact that grey alder is a poor timber tree, meant that it was the obvious choice to start building up the dead wood habitat and soil carbon storage in Bullens Wood.
I didn’t want the expense of employing felling contractors, and I wanted close control over the thinning operation, so I began trials of thinning trees myself by girdling (also referred to as ring-barking) – a technique that involves using a sharp tool to cut through a tree’s bark to kill the tree without having to cut it down. An advantage of girdling is that the trees do not need to be removed from site and can create an important habitat in the form of standing deadwood which will decompose over time benefitting woodland soils and biodiversity.
Once the trees needing to be thinned were selected and marked, they could be quickly girdled – with all the protective equipment in place – you can hold a chainsaw against the tree at waist height and cut through the bark as you walk around the tree. Simple girdling is not enough to kill the tree – the cambium (the layer of the tree’s trunk beneath the bark) will regrow, so I applied a solution of Glyphosate with a hand applicator to the cut, which was 100% effective in killing the tree
Felling dead trees is far more dangerous than live trees as it can make the trees behaviour unpredictable. It’s important that only experienced and suitably trained chainsaw users should consider this approach. This approach is also likely to be unsuitable for woodlands with public access or in close proximity to roads and other public infrastructure.
When trees are girdled in the autumn or winter, they will usually come into leaf the following spring. Carbohydrates produced by photosynthesis are unable to be transported through the tree, so the roots starve and die. The roots are then unable to pump sap up into the canopy and the tree dies.
As the tree slowly dies it first sheds its leaves, then the smaller twigs and branches. Three years after girdling, most trees have a stem that is sound and dry (about 20% moisture, a bit more at the base and much less in the smaller branches of the crown, which will all dry quickly below 20% when prepared for burning). This is ideal for firewood, as it needs no further storage and can be taken straight from the wood to the stove.
I fell my girdled ash trees for my own personal firewood, but other girdled trees are left to decompose and complete the woodland cycle, to benefit wildlife and boost biodiversity.
A typical girdled tree will remain standing for many years because the branches become brittle and drop off, while the roots stay sound. Eventually, just the stump remains. There is little danger of a girdled tree toppling because the roots anchor the tree for many years even after it has died. On the other hand, a tree that has suffered root infections for many years may fall with a full crown at any time, possibly doing considerable damage to property and could endanger people.
Conventional felling produces sudden gaps in the canopy that increase the exposure of neighbouring trees to the sun and wind. Thinning by girdling results in no sudden changes to the environment, and therefore no sudden changes to tree growth. Oaks often produce epicormic shoots (a shoot growing from a bud underneath the bark of a trunk, stem, or branch) after a thinning – this reduces the value of their timber. By contrast, girdling slowly opens gaps in the canopy over several years as the girdled tree dies, allowing plenty of time for the crowns of neighbouring trees to grow into the new space.
Girdling results in a natural process like a tree dying slowly of disease. A complete woodland ecosystem requires standing and lying dead trees at all stages of decomposition. This can be achieved by girdling but not harvesting the trees.
When a tree dies, its natural defences are removed. It becomes a particularly rich environment for insects and fungi as well as woodpeckers and other wildlife. When the dead branches fall they become lying deadwood. The dead wood becomes moist, and decay is hastened by insects and fungi making it their new home. Organic matter makes its way into the soil and the woodland begins to build up its carbon storage.
When girdling, you should avoid creating lots of recently dead standing trees within a contained space. For example, if a species being girdled is prone to a wood boring pest such as Ips typographus in spruce, this deadwood could be a perfect habitat for the pest.
Girdling is the same as felling as far as felling licences are concerned (five cubic metres are allowed for your own use each calendar quarter without a felling licence). When it comes to felling a girdled tree, no felling licence is required because the tree is already dead.
Thinning by girdling has allowed me to manage Bullens Wood by myself, with just one or two days of light work each year using a battery powered chainsaw.
Over the last 10 years or so I have removed most of the grey alder from Bullens Wood’s canopy. Over that time the roots will have fixed plenty of nitrogen in the soil. Now it is time for more valuable trees to benefit from this. The rotting alder stumps are full of insect holes, and large branches are scattered over the woodland floor – nurturing this woody habitat.
Girdling can also be used to produce rotten limbs on living trees for conservation purposes. In this picture the side limb of a grey alder has been girdled. The soft, rotten wood would be ideal for a willow tit to excavate its nest site.
The oaks in Bullens Wood are my pride and joy. Several of the weaker oak trees were suppressed before I started managing the woodland. I have been caring for the remaining trees by thinning any ash and Norway maple that shade the crowns of the oaks. The time will come when I must thin some of the oak trees where they are growing too close to each other. That will be a difficult decision to take.
I have girdled about 50% of the ash trees so far, leaving the straightest trees to expand their crowns. Chalara has not affected any of the trees, although it has been present in neighbouring woodlands since 2014. Three years after girdling the ash trees they are felled and used for firewood as and when required.
Many Norway maple in Bullens Wood have a fork in the main stem. These have also been removed by girdling to leave just the straight, single stemmed trees.
The field maple trees are filling the woodland understorey and ensure that the canopy trees are growing tall and straight. It has not been necessary to thin the field maple as they are scattered throughout the wood and form the understory, typically not competing with the timber producing canopy trees for sunlight.
The girdling technique may not be suitable for large commercial woodlands, and nor would it be suitable in open woodlands or for clear felling and coppicing. In these cases, the extra light would simply encourage a girdled tree to sprout new shoots from the base. The risks posed by creating standing deadwood must also be carefully considered in the context of public access and neighbouring infrastructure such as roads, building etc.
However, I do think it will provide another tool to help the thousands of hectares of new woodland being planted now to be managed simply, effectively, and safely for quality timber production, biodiversity and nutrient recycling.
Contact your local Woodland Officer for advice and guidance on woodland management, or find out more on gov.uk/manage-woodland.
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Kate Tobin, our Nature Recovery Policy Advisor, talks about the importance of managing our woodlands to support nature recovery and increase wider benefits.
Walking through English woodlands, we are surrounded by a story of human endeavour and hope in the face of an unknown future. A forester plans and plants for several generations ahead and this need to predict future markets has led to a range of interesting legacies in our woodlands today.
We are surrounded by a wonderful canopy of oaks because they were planted to support wooden ship building, or by overstood oak coppice because the regrowth gave the perfect curve for the keel of a wooden clinker-built fishing boat. While iconic bluebell carpets under hazel coppice are there because we were confident that we would need an endless supply of hazel hurdles for fencing in our sheep. Even our much-loved hedgerows with their beautiful spreading trees are there due to a bureaucratic legacy. In the sixteenth century leases often required the tenant to plant several oak, ash and elm trees for timber every year, leading to the regular punctuation along our skyline today, now sadly depleted by Dutch elm disease and ash dieback. The foresters who planted millions of softwoods for pit props after the First World War could not foresee the collapse of the mining industry many decades later, but they did successfully predict our need for timber for building, fencing, sawn wood and paper.
Our woodlands today, and the foresters who manage them, are providing society with an essential resource. The UK imports a staggering 81% of our timber and wood, making us very vulnerable to fluctuating supplies and prices in an increasingly unstable world. Our domestic production is growing slowly, with Scotland providing over half our output and England providing less than a quarter. Around half the woodlands in England are managed, usually for timber, wildlife, recreation or a combination of those objectives.
The UK Forestry Standard (UKFS) ensures that, whatever the primary purpose, consideration and protection are always given to wildlife, water, soils, climate, historic environment and people – and where possible, enhancements are made. In October 2023, a new edition of the UKFS has been published to raise the baseline of good practice further, supporting improvements to natural processes for water and reducing the maximum proportion of a single tree species in new woodlands from 75% to 65%. There are also requirements for more action on deer management to allow our woodlands to establish and regenerate.
By considering the following 12 biodiversity factors, as set out in the UK Forestry Standard, during the creation and management of woodlands, we can deliver a thriving environment for woodland associated wildlife:
Despite an increase in native broadleaved woodlands since the 1970s, the UK’s recent State of Nature Report 2023 records that woodland wildlife has declined in abundance and diversity over the same timeframe. Woodland loss and fragmentation are an important factor, as well as loss of ecological condition and lack of management.
In 2020, Forest Research published the first systematic Woodland Ecological Condition assessment. An impressive field survey that established the condition of plots across the country using 15 indicators, including deadwood, veteran trees, open space, plant species and structural complexity. The results show that in Great Britain, only 7% of native woodland stands are in favourable condition with the rest falling below that standard due to a range of factors.
Deer and grey squirrel pressure are major factors, with populations of both at an all-time high. Deer damage ground flora and suppress natural regeneration of trees by browsing, which removes the shrub layer where birds nest and insects flourish. Grey squirrels can change the composition of woodland by damaging particular tree species, and of course, by spreading the squirrel pox virus to which the native red squirrels have no immunity. Lack of deadwood is another key reason for poor woodland condition, with the majority of stands containing insufficient levels of standing and fallen deadwood. Deadwood is a vital part of a healthy ecosystem supporting a wide range of insects, fungi and plants, which in turn support a range of birds and mammals. The survey also identified that lack of effective management – creating light, structure and encouraging regeneration – is a key limiting factor to achieving favourable ecological condition.
Managing woodlands well requires managing light levels to create a diverse structure within your woodland, with diversity of plant species on the ground, at shrub height and in the canopy. This can be achieved by harvesting trees sustainably, encouraging regrowth and regeneration, and providing plenty of open space as well as edge habitat where bramble and shrubs grade into high forest. This diversity in plant species and structure supports the food chain of insects, birds and mammals within the woodland by providing a range of food sources and shelter, with niches for nesting, roosting and hibernating.
Improving the ecological condition in woodlands also provides nature-based solutions to other environmental problems. Recent research from the University of East Anglia has highlighted the importance of a woodland canopy to wild bees, one of the most significant species in pollinating our food crops.
Managing land in systems that are close to nature results in the greatest diversity of species and more abundant wildlife. Predicting future change, especially in terms of climate and taking proactive measures to allow habitats to become more resilient is an important consideration, which is addressed in the government’s Tree Health Resilience Strategy.
For woodland wildlife, this starts with protecting, buffering, connecting and carefully managing our ancient woodlands, which now only cover 2.5% of England. By good management of these irreplaceable habitats and restoring natural processes and functions between them, as set out in our policy document Keepers of Time, we offer wildlife the best chance to expand populations and move in response to environmental change.
Across the wider landscape, regenerative farming (farming with nature and soils in mind) can produce a harvest alongside nature recovery, often through greater integration of trees and crops. Similarly, forestry can produce a crop of commercially valuable trees, when they are integrated within a design that enables the development of natural woodland ecosystems as a framework or foundation stone. Woodlands that were planted in the past using limited tree species or that have never been thinned (by removing some trees so that others can grow bigger and straighter) can rapidly improve for wildlife if we harvest timber in ways that restore natural ecological features.
Modern forestry operates over large areas, harvesting trees carefully which brings light to the woodland floor, promoting growth of flora, shrubs and trees that then grow with minimal disturbance until the next thinning cycle. Woodland management can not only boost species abundance, but it can also lead to private investment opportunities to help fund much larger areas of nature recovery, reducing our reliance on government grants. A combination of best practice, targeted management, restoration of native woodlands and bespoke support for species recovery can help us reach our UK targets of halting the decline in species by 2030, reducing the risk of species extinction and restoration of 500,000 hectares of wildlife-rich habitats by 2042 (Environmental Improvement Plan 2023).
Good techniques for managing woodland for wildlife, as well as tools to work out what species you might find in your woodland and how to assess its ecological condition, can be found in the Woodland Wildlife Toolkit.
To understand how managing woodland for wildlife can contribute to nature-based solutions to wider environmental problems, visit Forest Research’s Climate Change Hub.
Find more information and helpful resources on our Woodland Management Matters page.
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