Correspondence

eAlert: 27 March 2020 - COVID-19 update

Updated 2 April 2020

We have updated some of our working practices in light of Coronavirus (COVID-19).

1. Working arrangements in response to Coronavirus (COVID-19)

In common with most organisations dealing with the effects of COVID-19, the Forestry Commission is following government COVID-19 guidance and taking all steps necessary to protect our staff and help prevent the spread of the virus.

We know that many people rely on our services, and we are aiming to continue our normal operational work as far as it is safe to do so, for us and other people.

In accordance with government guidance the majority of our staff are now working from home, and we have taken the decision to close all of our non-essential offices, including Admin Hubs and Area Offices. Current closures include:

• National Office - Bristol
• Area Offices
  • Yorkshire and North East Area – York
  • North West and West Midlands Area – Penrith
  • East and East Midlands Area – Santon Downham
  • South East and London – Farnham
  • South West – Bullers Hill
• Admin Hubs
  • Bucks Horn Oak – Alice Holt Forest (generally covering the East of the country)
  • Bullers Hill – Haldon Forest (generally covering the West of the country plus all Dedications)

2. Updated information on business as usual Site Visits

Site visits suspended.

We will not undertake site visits during the current period of restrictions. This will be reviewed as government advice changes. We will continue to support the forestry sector by processing felling licences on Felling Licence Online. If Coronavirus restrictions continue we will look into ways we can keep this work going without site visits.

This suspension also applies to site visits for grant applications, and inspections for grant claims under the Woodland Carbon Fund, HS2 Woodland Fund and Urban Tree Challenge Fund. If you have submitted a claim recently that has not yet been inspected, we will contact you directly once we have finalised our position. The suspension does not apply to critical tree health work (detailed below).

3. This means that we will need to change the way that we work with you

You can support us in a number of ways.

Avoid sending any postal mail to our offices. We will not get to see it for at least two weeks.

As our offices are closed we are not able to answer the phone.

To contact us about felling licences or legacy grant agreements please use the Admin Hub email addresses. For details on which admin hub to contact see our office contacts on GOV.UK.

• Bucks Horn Oak: adminhub.buckshornoak@forestrycommission.gov.uk

• Bullers Hill adminhub.bullershill@forestrycommission.gov.uk

Please apply for your felling licence online as we are currently not able to access any posted applications.

If you need to contact our Incentives Development team about a Woodland Carbon Fund, Woodland Creation Planning Grant, Urban Tree Challenge Fund or HS2 Woodland Fund grant application, agreement or claim, please use email in the first instance. The email addresses are:

• Woodland Carbon Fund: wcf@forestrycommission.gov.uk

• Woodland Creation Planning Grant: wcpg@forestrycommission.gov.uk

• Urban Tree Challenge Fund: utcf@forestrycommission.gov.uk

• HS2 Woodland Fund: hs2woodlandfund@forestrycommission.gov.uk

We are working with RPA, NE and Defra colleagues on the impacts on Countryside Stewardship applications and claims and will communicate more on this as soon as we can.

4. What work are we focusing on during this initial period?

Regulation of Tree Felling – we will continue to record and investigate any alleged illegal felling reports and take action on any illegal activity, so please continue to provide reports of anything suspicious. Please email any reports to the Admin Hub or Area Office team email as our office phone lines are not manned. Please don’t email individuals.

Apply online for your Felling Licence – we will continue to process felling licence applications and we advise you to apply online as we are currently unable to access any posted applications.

Grant claims – we will continue to process and make payments for woodland legacy grants and Non Rural Development Programme for England grant claims that we receive, although this might take a little longer than usual.

We will continue to carry on with as much grant and regulations work as we can given the current circumstances. Please bear with us as we create new ways of working that allow us to do this from home.

Plant Health Forestry Team -The Defra Plant Health COVID19 Hub have agreed that it is essential to enable import and export trade to continue, therefore the port inspections and export work are not covered by this site visit suspension. Regulated outbreak management (eradication and containment) of existing high priority pest (initially Larger eight-toothed European spruce bark beetle – Ips typographus and Oak Processionary Moth) will also continue.

It is essential that all staff and contractors involved in this work ensure that they observe the required social distancing. This and other plant health activities will continue to be discussed and shared as soon as it is available.

5. Defra statement on Forestry key workers

This week Defra have confirmed that those involved in the supply chain of wood for key goods should be considered key workers.

Those involved in the supply chain of wood for key goods (including, but not limited to pallets, heating, packaging, tissue paper, timber harvesting, sawmills) should be considered key workers.

There has been uncertainty among some groups about whether they should go to work if unable to do so from home. For clarification, please refer to the latest public health guidance on travelling to work here which clarifies that:

• You can travel for work purposes, but only where you cannot work from home.

• With the exception of the organisations covered above in the section on closing certain businesses and venues, the government has not required any other businesses to close – indeed it is important for business to carry on.

• Sometimes this will not be possible, as not everyone can work from home. Certain jobs require people to travel to, from and for their work – for instance if they operate machinery, work in construction or manufacturing, or are delivering front line services.

• If you cannot work from home then you can still travel for work purposes, provided you are not showing coronavirus symptoms and neither you nor any of your household are self-isolating. This is consistent with advice from the Chief Medical Officer.

6. Thank you for your continued support

During these challenging times we are proud to be able to continue with our important work, whilst keeping our staff safe by enabling home working. Please continue to support our staff in the ways we have detailed. We will continue to keep you up to date on how our working practices may need to change.