Form

Guidance on completing the natural colonisation site assessment for your EWCO application

Published 8 June 2021

Applies to England

This guidance explains the approach to natural colonisation funded through the England Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO).

If using this approach, you will need to complete the natural colonisation initial site assessment form in addition to the main EWCO application form.

This guidance has been developed with input from the England Woodland Biodiversity Group and aligns with the Forestry Commission’s guidance on using natural colonisation for the creation of new woodland.

1. Natural colonisation and EWCO

Natural colonisation is a woodland creation technique that relies on natural processes to create woodland. It is sometimes called ‘natural regeneration’.

In this guidance, we will use the term ‘natural colonisation’.

Successful natural colonisation can offer several benefits, including:

• a period of early successional and structurally diverse habitat with high biodiversity value
• contributing to national woodland creation targets without the need for nursery tree stock
• promotion of genetic diversity and associated adaptive capacity
• tree species that colonise are likely to be well-adapted to current site conditions

In a EWCO agreement, areas using natural colonisation can sit alongside areas of woodland creation where trees are planted. This can help make a diverse woodland that maximises opportunities to create woodland on a site.

2. Check eligibility

Support for natural colonisation through EWCO is granted at the discretion of a Forestry Commission woodland officer. Your woodland officer will carry out further assessments during the EWCO application process to verify site suitability for natural colonisation. They may seek advice from a Forestry Commission ecologist or a Natural England advisor if needed.

To be eligible, areas using natural colonisation will need to:

• meet the general EWCO criteria – a minimum application area of 1 hectare, 0.1 hectare for individual compartments and width of 20 metres (or 10 metres for shelterbelts and riparian buffers)
• be located within 75 metres of a viable seed source that includes at least 2 tree species - in exceptional cases, this distance may be extended^{[footnote 1]}

Sites can be next to existing woodland or mature hedgerows that include at least 2 seed bearing native trees species. You do not need to leave a buffer (open space) between the site and hedgerows unless the hedgerows are ancient hedgerows on parish boundaries or an important part of the historic landscape character. Check local historic environment records for details on this and include any relevant information in your woodland creation plan.

If a buffer is needed, you should mark this as an area of managed open space in your application map. This area must be maintained as an open space under your EWCO agreement.

Non-native species in appropriate locations would also qualify for support for natural colonisation, for example to expand existing plantations or create mixed woodlands with native and exotic species.

Ash is considered a viable species, as natural colonisation may help establish ash trees with resistance to ash dieback disease.

3. EWCO requirements

If you choose to create woodland through natural colonisation using EWCO, you must achieve the following by year 10 after completing capital works:

• at least 60% woody cover
• a minimum 100 tree stems per hectare^{[footnote 2]}

Woody cover includes any:

• species listed in the EWCO application form
• other woody vegetation such as bramble, hawthorn and blackthorn and other tree species

3.1 Site inspections

A Forestry Commission woodland officer will visit your site at:

• year 5 to check that conditions remain suitable for woodland establishment
• year 10 to check the minimum requirements have been met

If the assessment at year 10 shows that the site has not met the required tree density and % canopy cover, you can choose to carry out remedial planting in the next planting season.

Funding for this may be available through government schemes for afforestation or agri-environment support available at that time.

The Forestry Commission may inspect your site at any time, even before year 5. This could lead to remedial action sooner, for example, to make sure fencing is secure or any agreed ground preparation is completed.

If you do not complete the required remedial work within the given period, any grant money already paid may be recovered, or your agreement could be reduced or terminated.

You can find more details on inspections in the what to expect during site inspections section.

4. Supplementary planting

Supplementary planting may be needed to meet the EWCO requirements or to achieve the land manager’s objectives for the site. It’s optional unless the targets are not met by year 10.

Planting plans (such as timing, species) should be tailored to each site.

Plant in groups of 10 or more trees with regular spacing apart (1 to 2 metres), to reduce the need for long-term maintenance.

Your woodland officer will help you decide if early supplementary planting is needed. 

There are 3 types of supplementary planting: 

1. Advanced supplementary planting.
2. Responsive supplementary planting.
3. Remedial supplementary planting.

4.1 Advanced supplementary planting (up to 100 stems per hectare)

When: during the capital funding period (0 to 3 years).

Objectives:

• to meet minimum stocking density in areas where natural seeding is limited
• enrich species composition - where it is apparent, in advance, which species are likely to dominate colonisation that later takes place, or desired species are missing or lost from the local seed sources
• add bird perches to improve seed dispersal
• speed up the development of woodland structure, recognising that this may reduce the biodiversity benefits associated with a slower succession

We advise all applicants who are using natural colonisation to establish woodland, to include advanced supplementary planting in their application.

You will not be obligated to undertake advanced supplementary planting if it is no longer considered necessary, but we cannot amend EWCO agreements to include advanced supplementary planting after the agreement has been signed.

You may be required to undertake remedial planting at your own cost where the area of natural colonisation does not meet the minimum stocking density of 100 stems per hectare by the end of year 10.

If used, advanced supplementary planting must be carried out during the 3-year capital funding period. 

4.2 Responsive supplementary planting

When: 5 to 10 years after natural colonisation begins

Objectives:

Respond to the initial development of natural colonisation, to:

• enrich species composition
• support the development of woodland structure
• infill areas of no colonisation (especially those further from seed source)

4.3 Remedial supplementary planting

When: after it becomes clear that natural colonisation has not been successful (5 or more years, depending on objectives).

Objectives:

• in response to natural colonisation not meeting EWCO minimum requirements in the expected time period.
• to make sure the site develops into woodland within the required timescale

5. What you can apply for

5.1 Capital items

Requirements for tree protection (capital items) will be assessed for each site. Most sites are likely to need fencing unless the risk of damage from deer is low.

If approved by your local woodland officer, you can claim up to 100 tree shelters per hectare.

Requirements for ground preparation will also be assessed per site. Your woodland officer will decide if scarification items are needed to make sure natural colonisation is viable.

On large or less ideal sites, where natural seeding is limited, you can plant small clumps or low-density trees using the supplementary planting standard cost option. EWCO may also help cover the costs of higher stocking levels, depending on your objectives.

All other standard cost items and infrastructure payments are available in areas of natural colonisation in the same way that they are applied to areas of planted woodland.

5.2 Annual maintenance payments

Areas of natural colonisation are eligible for annual maintenance payments in the same way as planted areas. You will be expected to maintain the capital items, funded through the capital element of the agreement, for 15 years following the date of the final capital payment (the obligation period).

5.3 Additional contributions

Areas that use natural colonisation can also qualify for additional contributions under EWCO which are additional payments for providing public benefits. Unless there are restrictions on the type of tree species for example, when creating habitat for red squirrels.

You’ll receive additional contribution payments after any standard cost items (like planting) and infrastructure have been completed satisfactorily and claimed.

6. How to complete the form

6.1 Identify site objectives

To decide if natural colonisation is suitable for creating new woodland, you must first define the site’s management goals objectives. Natural colonisation is more likely to be suited to objectives related to nature recovery, and social or recreational benefits.

6.2 Complete the pre-application site assessment

Assess your site to check if the site is eligible.

Complete and follow the guidance in sections 1 and 2 in the natural colonisation initial site assessment form to record your findings.

You need to complete one form for each individual area you intend to use natural colonisation as a method of woodland creation.

Your woodland officer will review your form during a site visit to confirm the suitability of using natural colonisation and will complete the remaining sections of the form.

6.3 Record natural colonisation on the EWCO main application

If you plan to create woodland through natural colonisation, you will need to detail this in the land summary section of the EWCO application form. You do not need to provide details for this in the species breakdown section, unless you are using any supplementary planting.

7. What to expect during site inspections 

Your site will be inspected during the grant obligation period to make sure you are meeting the EWCO requirements for natural colonisation.

7.1 Site assessment at year 5

A Forestry Commission woodland officer will visit the site in year 5 to check if it’s still on track to meet the year 10 EWCO requirements. They will assess:

• fencing is in good condition and removed when no longer needed
• planned temporary open spaces are still in place

If the site is progressing well, no remedial action is needed.

If supplementary planting was completed, they’ll also check:

• dead trees have been replaced to maintain density
• trees are protected from competing vegetation and grazing animals
• tree protection is maintained and disposed of correctly by year 10
• no herbicides were used near watercourses

On highly suitable sites, canopy closure may start to occur from year 5 onwards, reducing light to the ground. If needed, the officer may suggest thinning or re-spacing to support target species and ground flora as long as this does not undermine achieving the EWCO minimum requirements by year 10.

There will be an option to undertake supplementary planting from this point in the agreement period if the agreement holder wishes to do so.

We may assess the site’s development to gather information to increase our knowledge of the natural development of sites.

7.2 Site assessment at year 10

A Forestry Commission woodland officer will visit the site in year 10 to check if it meets the EWCO requirements.

Because stems may be hidden by dense scrub, it’s not practical for the officer to count them manually. Instead, they will estimate stem density and species by inspecting the site.

The officer will assess the following.

Structure:

• age and range of tree saplings and seedlings
• size of saplings (under or over 50 cm)

Species:

• are the species consistent with the EWCO plan?
• are there any invasive non-native plants?

Woody cover:

• are levels developing at an appropriate rate?
• are seedlings growing, surviving, and spreading with the correct height distribution?

Stocking density:

• estimated density of tree stems

Spacing:

• is respacing needed to meet site objectives?

The officer will also check the land is being maintained to make sure the annual maintenance payments requirements are met including.

• fencing is in maintained and removed when no longer needed
• planned temporary open spaces are maintained

If supplementary planting was completed, they’ll also check:

• dead trees have been replaced to maintain density
• trees are protected from competing vegetation and grazing animals
• tree guards and fencing are maintained and removed by year 10
• no herbicides were used near watercourses

If the requirements are not met, you will be required to do either:

• remedial planting
• repay the EWCO grant for the failed area

Alternatively, you may exit the agreement without penalty if you join a suitable future environmental scheme (if available and you are eligible).

7.3 Site assessment at year 11 to 15

If remedial planting is needed, a second visit will confirm the work is enough to meet the 15-year obligation after the capital works are completed.

If you do not complete the required remedial work within the given period, any grant money already paid may be recovered, or your agreement could be reduced or terminated.

1. The distance from seed source of 75m was established following the publication of ‘Assessing the use of natural colonization to create new forests within temperate agriculturally dominated landscapes’ Bauld, 2023, Restoration Ecology, Wiley Online Library. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/rec.14004 ↩

2. Requirement calculated from data collected at Monks Wood National Nature Reserve, Cambridgeshire. ↩