This item is part of Protection and Infrastructure grants 2026. You must read the Protection and Infrastructure grants 2026 guidance to understand the rules and how to apply.
\n£74.74 per tree guard.
\n\nThis item helps beavers to remain on river catchments and protects valued trees.
\n\nYou can use this item:
\n\nwhere there’s evidence of beaver activity within the river catchment area you’re protecting – see section 2.1.2 of the Protection and Infrastructure guidance for a list of catchment areas
\non trees with a commercial, amenity or ornamental value – an ornamental tree is a tree that’s grown only for its appearance and not for harvest of fruit or wood for commercial gain
\non trees within 100 metres (m) of a water body or watercourse where beavers are foraging or there’s a strong likelihood of foraging
\nYou cannot use this item on historic or archaeological features as identified in your Historic Environment Farm Environment Record (HEFER).
\n\nYou must:
\n\nuse a minimum of 2 stakes that are at least 0.5m apart
\none stake should be 1.5m high, the other at least 0.5m
\nuse galvanised weld mesh that’s at least 1.8 millimetres (mm) – 2.5mm thickness (15-12 wire gauge), mesh 50 mm by 50 mm and height 900 mm
\nprevent the trunk rubbing against the metal – you can do this by bending vertical strands of wire mesh to face outwards or by pushing rubber tubing split lengthways on top the wire circle
\nensure the wire mesh is flush with the ground
\nensure the wire mesh covers buttress roots which may need additional lengths of wire to be attached to the lower edge of the coil around the tree
\nleave a minimum gap of 0.25m from the trunk
\nIf you have tree guards that were previously funded through Countryside Stewardship, you can reuse the posts to install the tree guards or replace with new posts if needed.
\n\nYou may need consent from the Environment Agency, lead local flood authority or internal drainage board before starting any work. Read owning a watercourse for more information.
\n\nYou must not:
\n\nattach wire mesh directly to the tree
\nattach guards so they rub against, constrict or damage the tree in any other way
\nuse lighter gauge material or chicken wire as it may not be effective
\nuse electric fencing
\nblock or restrict access to open access land
\nYou must keep and provide with your application:
\n\nYou must keep photographs of the completed work and provide them with your claim.
\n\nYou must also keep and provide on request:
\n\nRead the record keeping and site visit requirements in the Agreement holder’s guide: Capital Grants, Higher Tier capital grants and Protection and Infrastructure grants for more information.
\n\nYou can use this item with these items:
\n\nBC3: Crop protection fencing mesh and wire for permanent crops
\n\n\n\nThe following advice may help you to use this item, but you do not have to follow it to get paid. It’s not part of this item’s requirements.
\n\nCheck to make sure the works meet relevant British Standards.
\n\nCall Natural England’s enquiry line if you have questions about beaver activity on your land. They’ll direct you to the most appropriate advice.
\n\nPhone: 0300 060 3900
\n\nEmail: enquiries@naturalengland.org.uk
\n\n","change_history":[{"note":"Updated guidance under heading 'Evidence you must keep'. ","public_timestamp":"2026-02-19T10:57:35Z"},{"note":"Payment rate updated","public_timestamp":"2026-01-05T11:16:03Z"},{"note":"This item is part of Protection and Infrastructure grants 2025. You must read the Protection and Infrastructure grants 2025 guidance to understand the rules and how to apply.","public_timestamp":"2025-10-08T10:10:41Z"},{"note":"General improvement for clarity.","public_timestamp":"2025-02-03T11:07:12Z"},{"note":"Decreased payment from £136.16 to £132.16","public_timestamp":"2024-06-05T15:08:39Z"},{"note":"Payment per tree guard increased to £136.16 in 'how much will be paid' section.","public_timestamp":"2024-05-31T12:27:30Z"},{"note":"First published.","public_timestamp":"2022-07-05T07:47:43Z"}],"headers":[{"id":"how-much-youll-be-paid","level":2,"text":"How much you'll be paid"},{"id":"how-this-item-benefits-the-environment","level":2,"text":"How this item benefits the environment"},{"id":"where-you-can-use-this-item","level":2,"text":"Where you can use this item"},{"id":"what-you-must-do-to-use-this-item","level":2,"text":"What you must do to use this item"},{"id":"evidence-you-must-keep","level":2,"text":"Evidence you must keep"},{"id":"other-items-you-can-use-with-this-item","level":2,"text":"Other items you can use with this item"},{"headers":[{"id":"british-standards","level":3,"text":"British standards"}],"id":"advice-to-help-you-use-this-item","level":2,"text":"Advice to help you use this item"}],"max_cache_time":10,"metadata":{"grant_type":"capital-item"},"temporary_update_type":false},"document_type":"countryside_stewardship_grant","first_published_at":"2022-07-05T08:47:43+01:00","links":{"available_translations":[{"api_path":"/api/content/countryside-stewardship-grants/bc4-tree-guard-post-and-wire","api_url":"https://www.gov.uk/api/content/countryside-stewardship-grants/bc4-tree-guard-post-and-wire","base_path":"/countryside-stewardship-grants/bc4-tree-guard-post-and-wire","content_id":"dc867fcd-5619-4fe1-a736-5977ef0c543c","document_type":"countryside_stewardship_grant","links":{},"locale":"en","public_updated_at":"2026-02-19T10:57:35Z","schema_name":"specialist_document","title":"BC4: Tree Guard Post and wire","web_url":"https://www.gov.uk/countryside-stewardship-grants/bc4-tree-guard-post-and-wire","withdrawn":false}],"finder":[{"api_path":"/api/content/capital-grant-finder","api_url":"https://www.gov.uk/api/content/capital-grant-finder","base_path":"/capital-grant-finder","content_id":"0eb7b150-879a-4c44-becc-718e23a77e2c","details":{"facets":[{"allowed_values":[{"label":"Capital item","value":"capital-item"},{"label":"Supplement","value":"supplement"}],"display_as_result_metadata":false,"filterable":true,"key":"grant_type","name":"Grant type","preposition":"of type","type":"text"},{"allowed_values":[{"label":"Air quality","value":"air-quality"},{"label":"Arable land","value":"arable-land"},{"label":"Biodiversity","value":"biodiversity"},{"label":"Boundaries","value":"boundaries"},{"label":"Coast","value":"coast"},{"label":"Educational access","value":"educational-access"},{"label":"Flood risk","value":"flood-risk"},{"label":"Grassland","value":"grassland"},{"label":"Historic environment","value":"historic-environment"},{"label":"Livestock management","value":"livestock-management"},{"label":"Organic land","value":"organic-land"},{"label":"Priority habitats","value":"priority-habitats"},{"label":"Trees (non-woodland)","value":"trees-non-woodland"},{"label":"Uplands","value":"uplands"},{"label":"Vegetation control","value":"vegetation-control"},{"label":"Water quality","value":"water-quality"},{"label":"Pollinators and wildlife","value":"wildlife-package"},{"label":"Woodland","value":"woodland"}],"display_as_result_metadata":false,"filterable":true,"key":"land_use","name":"Areas of interest","preposition":"with","type":"text"}],"index_documents_in_search_engines":true,"show_metadata_block":true,"show_table_of_contents":true},"document_type":"finder","links":{},"locale":"en","public_updated_at":"2026-04-09T09:03:44Z","schema_name":"finder","title":"Capital grant finder","web_url":"https://www.gov.uk/capital-grant-finder","withdrawn":false}],"organisations":[{"analytics_identifier":"EA58","api_path":"/api/content/government/organisations/rural-payments-agency","api_url":"https://www.gov.uk/api/content/government/organisations/rural-payments-agency","base_path":"/government/organisations/rural-payments-agency","content_id":"e8fae147-6232-4163-a3f1-1c15b755a8a4","details":{"acronym":"RPA","brand":"department-for-environment-food-rural-affairs","default_news_image":null,"logo":{"crest":"single-identity","formatted_title":"Rural Payments