Correspondence

eAlert: 30 June 2022 - new trees and peat guidance

Published 30 June 2022

Applies to England

• Publication for Northern Ireland
• Publication for Scotland
• Publication for Wales

1. New trees and peat guidance: helping to inform where to establish trees and where to restore peat

1.1 Working with Natural England we have updated the framework to help foresters and land managers when making decisions on how they might manage their land.

Ambitious targets have been set for forest expansion and peat restoration across England supported by the Nature for Climate Fund. This presents an opportunity for foresters and other land managers to consider how they might manage their land to help deliver targets for woodland creation, nature recovery and tackle climate change. It is important that these activities are carried out in an integrated and complementary way. In June last year we published our interim guide. This interim guidance was developed by the Forestry Commission, working closely with Natural England, Forest Research and Forestry England, to provide an agreed evidence-based decision support framework to guide both landowners and Natural England/Forestry Commission regulators on where to establish trees and where to restore peat.

We have now published refreshed guidance available on GOV.UK.

A key update being made now is adding a decision-making framework on whether to restock woodlands on peat. This should further help inform land management choices, and sets out how the UK Forestry Standard (UKFS) will be implemented in England for trees and peatland.

This guidance is being published in the context of the implementation of the England Trees Action Plan, England Peat Action Plan and development of the Local Nature Recovery Strategies and a consultation on nature recovery and revision of the UKFS during 2022. To ensure that this guidance remains aligned with this broader policy framework we will work with key stakeholders and land managers to review the guidance in June 2023.

Alongside the updated guidance we are launching a new forest-to-bog restoration metric for a period of user testing. The metric uses environmental data to predict the restorability of peat under forest to help landowners and other decision makers consider the most desirable land use. The metric will be in beta format for user testing and feedback before release of the full finalised metric in June 2023.

2. Forestry and Climate Change Adaptation Accord: a call for urgent action to adapt forests to climate change

2.1 The Forestry and Climate Change Partnership (FCCP) has today (30 June) published the Forestry and Climate Change Adaptation Accord which sets out a collective vision that Britain’s trees, woods and forests are resilient to climate change and therefore able to meet their full potential to provide environmental, social and economic benefits.

Sir William Worsley, Forestry Commission Chair said:

It’s vital we work together across the forestry sector to ensure our country’s woodlands can thrive into the future, which is why I’m delighted that the Forestry Commission are proud members of the Forestry and Climate Change Partnership (FCCP) and signatories of the Forestry and Climate Change Adaptation Accord.

Dr Gabriel Hemery, Chief Executive of the Sylva Foundation and Chair of the FCCP said:

The recently renamed Forestry and Climate Change Partnership represents an unusual level of collaboration and a powerful agreement to work together to make change happen, fast. Our trees, woods and forests are faced with unprecedented rates of climate change and increased environmental threats such as pests and pathogens. Only by working together, and with the support of individual woodland owners and professionals, will we be able to rise to meet these challenges, with an ambition to bounce back better.

  The Accord is available on the new FCCP website. Organisations are invited to show their support for the Accord by signing up online. 

3. New blog: trees - a natural way to help our waterways

3.1 Alexandra Jenks, Forestry Commission Woodland Officer for the South East and London, shares how planting trees and creating woodland can help our waterways.

Can trees help in areas where there have been ongoing issues with soil erosion, flooding and to aid the restoration of river and riverside habitats? Read our blog to find out more.

4. Getting it right: applying for the England Woodland Creation Offer

4.1 Join us for a free webinar.

If you are thinking about applying for the England Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO), this webinar will help you with the practicalities of applying and increase the chances of you getting it right first time. Hear our advice and ask questions! Book your place on eventbrite.

5. Sustainable Farming Incentive pilot: new standards to launch today

5.1 Applications open today (30 June 2022) find out more on the GOV.UK page:

Government’s ambition is to bring more land and farms into environmental management than ever before. The Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI), one of the three Environmental Land Management Schemes (ELMS), will reward landowners and farmers for doing so.

The Sustainable Farming Incentive is launching a subset of standards today (30 June 2022). This launch will include the following standards:

• Two Soils Standards: Moorland Standard and Rough Grazing Standard
• Annual Health and Welfare Review

The Farm Woodland Standard is not included in this launch as it is being further developed during the scheme pilot and will be added to the scheme in the coming years.

For further information, please see Defra’s recent blog post: Sustainable Farming Incentive: information about the rollout of our new environmental scheme.

6. Grant deadline reminders:

6.1 Woodland Creation Accelerator Fund

Are you an upper tier Local Authority in need of funding to support staff for woodland creation? If so check out our webinar to find out more.

You can watch the Woodland Creation Accelerator Fund webinar that our partners ADEPT ran on 21 June to hear more about the fund.

Visit our GOV.UK page: Woodland Creation Accelerator Fund to find out more and to apply. The application deadline for submission on Defra’s e-portal system is 5pm on 8 July 2022.

6.2 Tree Production Capital Grant - deadline extended

We have extended the deadline slightly on the Tree Production Capital Grant. The final deadline is now 11:55pm, Monday, 4 July 2022. Find out more about the grant and how to apply on our GOV.UK page.