Correspondence

eAlert: 27 July 2022

Published 27 July 2022

Applies to England

1. Seed Sourcing for Trees of the Future webinar

Register to attend the free webinar.

On Tuesday 13 September, the Institute of Chartered Foresters will host a free one-day webinar, Seed Sourcing for Trees of the Future.

Supported by DEFRA and the Forestry Commission, the webinar will provide landowners, managers and foresters with guidance and advice on seed sourcing, a vital but often overlooked part of the tree production and planting process.

Hear from technical experts as well as commercial seed suppliers and landowners.

Topics covered will include:

  • how to effectively manage existing seed sources
  • identifying and registering new seed stands
  • the planting of seed orchards

Discussions will focus on the importance of hosting and providing access to tree seed sources, the opportunities derived from doing so, as well as guidance and support regarding how to put in place the relevant processes required to ensure efficient management.

Attendees are welcome to join individual sessions throughout the day. Recordings will be available after the event.
The webinar is in partnership with the Royal Forestry Society (RFS), Country Land and Business Association (CLA), Confederation of Forest Industries (Confor) and Small Woods Association (SWA).

Overview of programme: Seed Sourcing for Trees of the Future Webinar - September 13, 2022

When: Tuesday 13 September 2022, 09:00 – 16.45

How to register

Please register at Seed Sourcing for Trees of the Future Webinar - September 13, 2022

2. Getting it right: apply for the England Woodland Creation Offer webinar

Need a helping hand with your EWCO application? Watch our webinar.

If you are thinking about applying for the England Woodland Creation Offer, this webinar will help you with the practicalities of applying and increase the chances of you getting it right first time.
 
Topics covered include:

  • things to consider before applying
  • brief overview of England’s Woodland Creation Offer
  • application process
  • common mistakes & omissions, and how to avoid them
  • example of a successful application

The webinar recording consists of a 1-hour presentation, and a 30-minute Q&A.
 
For additional EWCO enquiries, please email: ewcoenquiries@forestrycommission.gov.uk

Watch the video

3. Claiming for your EWCO Annual Maintenance Payments

Don’t miss the deadline.

If you have completed planting and all capital work on your scheme, please note that we must have received your final claim for capital work by 31 August 2022 for your annual Maintenance Payments to begin this year. We will automatically begin your payments in autumn 2022 where we receive your final capital claim by this deadline.
 
If the claim is found to be invalid, requires remedial action, or is received after 31 August 2022, your payments may be delayed or begin the following autumn.
 
If you have not yet completed your capital work and do not intend to submit your final capital claim this year, this does not apply. Your annual Maintenance Payments will not begin until you have submitted your final claim for capital work. Please see the EWCO Grant Manual for further information.

4. Quantifying the Sustainable Forestry Carbon Cycle – report by Forest Research

Find out how creating woodland impacts on CO2 uptake.

Today Forest Research published a report, which is a systematic analysis of the rate of net CO2 uptake over time as a result of creating a wide range of different types of woodland in the UK.
 
The analysis includes potential future avoided GHG emissions through using wood products in place of other materials and fuels. Twelve types of woodlands were analysed covering coniferous and broadleaf woodlands and natural recolonization.
 
Read the full report on the Forest Research website.

For more information visit New evidence to inform woodland creation for climate change mitigation.

5. National Moth Week 2022

Read our latest blog.

It’s National Moth Week from 23 to 31 July.
 
There are around 2,500 species of moths in the British Isles. Many of these are fully or partly dependent on trees and woodland.
 
However, two thirds of our moth species are in decline, with woodland species particularly suffering, and even more so, those species that depend on the open areas in woodland – rides, glades, edges, small harvested or coppiced areas. This evidence highlights the importance of managing woodland sustainably, but recent research is also indicating other potential reasons for the decline.

Find out more in our blog post Tigers and hawks in our forests.

6. Defra sustainable farm-based protein competition opens

Are you looking to improve farming productivity and resilience in the sector? Find out more about this competition.

On Monday 25 July Defra opened a £12.5m sustainable farm-based protein competition. Farmers, growers, foresters, businesses and researchers are invited to apply with projects to help increase domestic production of healthy and sustainable protein.

The competition is part of the Government’s £270 million Farming Innovation Programme being run in partnership with UK Research and Innovation’s Transforming Food Production Challenge to help spark new ideas and collaboration across the sector.

The aim is to accelerate the development of novel and disruptive technologies to create new sources of resource efficient, low-emission proteins, leading to a more sustainable farming model for the future. This will help improve farming productivity, resilience in the sector and move existing agricultural sectors towards net zero.
 
This competition is split into ‘Feasibility’ projects (up to 2 years), and ‘Industrial Research’ (up to 5 years for breeding projects). Projects must have a value of £200k-£500k and £500k-£1m respectively, and it will fund a whole range of projects – from traditional livestock production and plant production to novel animal feeds/supplements, and of particular relevance to foresters - agroforestry and bioeconomy projects.

Guidance on how to apply is available at the following links: