eAlert: 9 December 2021 - Storm Arwen updates
Published 10 December 2021
Applies to England
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1. Mental health benefits of visiting UK Woodland’s estimated at £185 million
A landmark report by Forest Research, published on Saturday 4 December, has found that visits to the UK’s woodlands boosts mental health and is estimated to save £185 million in treatment costs annually.
For England specifically, woodlands save £141 million costs associated with mental health illnesses, including visits to GPs, drug prescriptions, inpatient care, social services and the number of days lost due to mental health issues. The figures are based on evidence of the reduced incidence of depression and anxiety resulting from regular visits to woodlands.
Forestry Commission Chair, Sir William Worsley, said:
This report demonstrates just how vital it is to invest in healthy trees and woodlands. It makes medical sense, because it will mean better health for all; economic sense, by saving society millions of pounds and it makes environmental sense, helping us to tackle the twin challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss.
2. Storm Arwen: impact report
2.1 Help us improve our understanding of the economic and environmental damage caused by Storm Arwen.
The Forestry Commission is working with the sector to respond to the impact of Storm Arwen. It is clear that there have been some significant impacts across the North of England and Scotland. The current focus is on the restoration of power and access to those affected by the storm by the relevant statutory authorities. We are starting to assess the wider impact and recognise the importance of promoting a safety first approach (think safe, stay safe). This includes carefully considering the risks associated with windblown trees and seeking trained professional help for any work needed.
As part of our response we are gathering information on the area of woodland and volume of timber blown down. We are using a variety of sources of information including working with Forest Research to use earth observation satellite data. Early indications from surveys carried out by Forestry Commission staff suggest that more than 1000ha of woodland is likely to have been blown down and potentially in excess of 0.5million m3 of timber damaged. Preliminary reports suggest that there has been some regionally significant impacts following the initial assessments from Forestry England.
To help us improve our understanding of the economic and environmental damage caused by the storm we would like you to share information you have on damage sustained by woodlands you own or manage. If you would like to help us please take a minute to answer these questions:
- what is the six figure Ordnance Survey grid reference and postcode for the location of your woodland?
- what is the total estimated area and volume of windthrow across the holding (if there is more than one woodland on the holding, please submit the sum area and sum volume damaged)?
- what main tree species are present in the damaged woodland?
- do you have a current felling licence for the affected woodland?
- do you plan to harvest or remove the windblown trees?
- do you have any plans to restock the site?
- do you a windblow recovery plan for the sites affected?
Please send your responses to storm.arwen@forestrycommission.gov.uk by 23 January 2022. We aim to produce a map and short report describing the impact of Storm Arwen in late February and will share key findings via eAlert.
Woodland owners and managers who may be concerned or need help or advice about storm damage to their woodland should contact their Agent or local Forestry Commission Area Office.
3. Storm Arwen: requirements for a licence for areas of windblown trees in England
Some damaged trees may be exempt from needing a licence and still be economic to harvest from the woodland. Those trees posing a real danger to public right of ways, roads and services should be dealt with and would be exempt from our regulations.
The legal harvesting of affected timber is an important consideration for supply chains and land managers should consider applying for a felling licence for all affected areas to help meet chain of custody requirements.
4. Storm Arwen: support for Countryside Stewardship Agreements
If you have been affected by Storm Arwen and need support with the delivery of your Countryside Stewardship Agreement, please read the guidance on ‘Adverse weather conditions in England’.
You can also find useful information and contact details on Section 18 of your agreement terms and conditions or Annex1 of the relevant CS Manual.
5. There’s more to trees than meets the eye
5.1 Read about the top 10 reasons farmers should consider planting trees.
Tree planting can present opportunities to diversify, generate additional income, increase farm productivity, and enhance your land – whilst also supporting wider environmental goals.
We’ve put together 10 compelling reasons to consider woodland creation that will show you what you could achieve with your land.
6. Countryside Stewardship Woodland Creation Grant closes to new applications
The Countryside Stewardship (CS) Woodland Creation Grant is closing to new applications on 31 December 2021. You will still be able to apply to create woodland through the England Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO) which is open for applications.
If you currently have a CS Woodland Creation grant you can continue with the capital works as agreed with the Forestry Commission. You will be invited to apply for the 10 year CS Woodland Creation Maintenance agreement when the capital works are complete.
7. Updates on the England Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO)
In October we shared news of how we were working through the high numbers of EWCO applications. We are continuing this work to turn as many applications as possible into agreements to support planting this winter season. To achieve as much as possible we are continuing to prioritise complete applications that we and our delivery partners (e.g., the Community Forests) have already received to plant.
While we continue to build our capacity to process applications, it currently takes three to five months to process a complete and valid application. As a result, applications not yet received will not lead to agreements in time to plant this winter.
Once we have issued as many agreements for this winter as possible, we will return our attention to those EWCO applications for planting next season and that we have yet to receive, and Woodland Creation Planning Grant applications.
8. Help us shape future environmental management schemes
Defra is introducing schemes that reward the delivery of environmental benefits. These schemes will pay for sustainable farming practices, reducing carbon emissions, creating and preserving habitat, and making landscape-scale environmental changes.
Defra is looking to talk to farmers, foresters and other land managers across a variety of land types, to better understand your needs and goals in supporting the development of the new schemes. We would encourage you to take part in ongoing research and co-design activity for the schemes. By taking part, you’ll be co-designing these schemes so that they work well for farmers, foresters and land managers.
9. Introduction of new Plant Health requirements to prevent the spread of the tree pathogen Phytophthora pluvialis
Following extensive surveillance, further outbreaks of Phytopthora pluvialis have been found in Cornwall, Devon, Cumbria and on one site in the north west of Scotland.
We’re introducing an extended demarcated area in Cornwall and Devon on 10 December.
New Notices in Cornwall, Devon and Cumbria will also come into effect on 10 December. These Notices now include additional restrictions on the felling of susceptible material within the demarcated areas.
Full information can be found on GOV.UK. For further information on the Scotland finding and management approach please visit the Scottish Forestry website.
10. We have started to pay our annual claims
10.1 Payments for 2021 legacy annual claims will start this week.
We started to make 2021 annual payments for Farm Woodland Premium Scheme (FWPS) and Farm Woodland Payment (FWP) on 8 December 2021.
We will work hard to complete all payments as soon as we can; 91% of eligible claims have been approved and will be sent for payment this week. Payments for Farm Woodland Scheme (FWS) were completed in November 2021. You will receive remittance advice from the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) confirming the amount you’ve been paid.
If you have a query about the amount you receive please call the RPA on 03000 200 301.
11. Forestry Learning Mechanism scoping study: Invitation to Quote
To support the delivery of the Nature for Climate Fund, there needs to be a significant increase in the provision, co-ordination and take-up of forestry skills, training and education.
We are procuring a scoping survey to help us better understand which mechanism, organisation, platform, network, model or approach would best be able to deliver this increase.
The period for the Invitation to Quote will run until 5:00pm on Friday 17 December. More information is available online.
12. Updated Forestry Commission agent authority form
We’ve updated the Forestry Commission Agent Authority Form. This is the form you can use to grant an agent permission to submit an application or manage an agreement on your behalf. A full list of applications the form can be used for is available on GOV.UK.
We have made changes to the form to help us provide a better service for all applications where agent permissions are needed.
We listened to the feedback from the Agent’s Focus Group that the specific listing of grants on the form was restrictive because it meant that a new form had to be completed for every new grant introduced. As a resolution, we have adapted the form so that it can be used for future grants. We have also introduced the option for you to select whether the authority relates to past applications, future applications, or both.
We also now accept certified Adobe Sign electronic signatures on the agent authority form as well as handwritten (wet) signatures. Instructions on how to complete the form are available on GOV.UK.