Correspondence

eAlert: 8 January 2020 - Facilitating collaborative deer management

Published 8 January 2020

Applies to England

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

This month we share with you our plans to take Deer Management to be taken in-house from April 2020. Also we are highlighting the benefits of planting woodland, share the RPA winter mailer and remind you of the deadline dates for the Woodland Carbon Guarantee and the HS2 Woodland Fund.

1. Facilitating Collaborative Deer Management

Delivery to be brought in-house from April 2020.

The current Forestry Commission and Natural England co-funded collaborative deer management grant arrangement expires on 31 March 2020. This 4-year grant, delivered by the Deer Initiative Ltd, seeks to support the collaborative and coordinated management of wild deer in England in order to help achieve better outcomes for woodland and other habitats associated with woodland. Results have been positive (although geographically varied) with positive impacts on site condition and environmental outcomes. Importantly, the project has highlighted some key issues and challenges, indicating that a broader approach to deer management is also needed to tackle more deep seated issues.

As we have approached the end of the grant, our priority has been on how we can continue to build upon the successes of the grant on the ground and begin acting on learnings from the project, particularly in finding ways to tackle barriers to active deer management. Since June 2019, we have gathered views from a wide range of stakeholders on how deer management should be delivered once the current grant arrangement expires. We also carried out a market testing exercise to seek expressions of interest on the delivery of a potential future grant arrangement.

On consideration of the options available, our conclusion is that bringing delivery of these facilitation activities in-house to Forestry Commission from April 2020 is the best way to achieve these priorities. A small team of Deer Officers will deliver on-the-ground deer management advice and best practice to landowners, managers, agents and stalkers, raising awareness and helping to facilitate activities. In addition, a Deer Advisor will work with woodland creation, management and resilience stakeholders to influence current and crucially future policy, regulations and incentives for deer management. Recruitment for these posts is currently underway on Civil Service Jobs.

Forestry Commission and Natural England want to thank the Deer Initiative Ltd staff for their continued professionalism and commitment to the grant project in its final year of delivery, recognising the difficult circumstances since July this year when the Deer Initiative Ltd Trustees independently announced the closure of the organisation as a result of a difficult operational environment. We very much appreciate the work done by the Deer Initiative Ltd both in the achievements delivered through the project and in furthering deer management objectives and knowledge to a wider audience.

We also stress our continued support of the Deer Initiative Partnership, recognising its valuable and probably irreplaceable role in bringing together a range of diverse, and often conflicting, views among the many parties with an interest in deer management. As members of the Deer Initiative Partnership, we will continue to be proactive in helping to shape the Deer Initiative Partnership’s future operating model and working together towards our common aim of “ensuring the delivery of a sustainable wild deer population in England and Wales”.

2. From farming to forestry

The benefits of planting woodland.

If you’re a farmer interested in planting trees, find out more about Howard’s Wood in Dorset where a 13 hectare woodland was planted in 2002 on former maize fields. The woodland manager Helen explained to us what benefits the woodland is now bringing, and how the wildlife and the timber crop live, grow and evolve together. You can read our case study on GOV.UK, or watch the video interview below.

Interview with woodland manager Helen who talks to Woodland Officer Chris about why her late father-in-law moved from farming to forestry.

3. Did you get a copy of the RPA winter mailer?

If not it is available on GOV.UK for you to read.

Yesterday (Tuesday 7 January 2020) the RPA sent out their winter mailer to customers, it covers topics like:

• information on payments

• flooding advice

• woodland support grants

• how to update your information and avoid fraud

The winter mailer is available on GOV.UK for you to read.

4. Woodland Carbon Guarantee - still time to apply

The deadline for applications to take part in the first auctions is getting close.

If you are already registered with the Woodland Carbon Code and were thinking of applying to the Woodland Carbon Guarantee you have just over a week to get your application to us - the deadline is Friday 17 January 2020. In order to apply you just need to be registered with the Woodland Carbon Code and have the information required to make your carbon calculation. Your application for the Woodland Carbon Guarantee can also be made in advance of any other grant applications.

5. HS2 Woodland Fund - apply now

To meet the next assessment deadline we need to have your application by 24 January 2020.

Submit your HS2 Woodland Fund application before the 24 January 2020 and you could have your woodland creation or PAWS restoration agreement in place by spring or early summer 2020. This gives you plenty of time to arrange your planting for the winter!

If this assessment deadline is too soon we shall be publishing the 2020/21 application assessment deadlines soon.