Promotional material

Plant your future: Top 5 reasons to plant woodland

Updated 19 January 2024

Applies to England

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

Trees have far-reaching benefits for your land, your local community, the environment and for future generations. By planting the right trees in the right places for the right reasons, with financial support and expert advice on hand, you can realise the true potential of woodland creation for you and for your land.

 1. Boost biodiversity and support the climate

Woodlands are home to a wealth of wildlife, especially when connected to encourage wider wildlife corridors, and act as a natural ‘carbon sink’ by removing and storing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. You could also receive additional Forestry Commission stackable payments for aiding nature recovery.

2. Generate reliable income streams

Timber and woodfuel

Timber and local woodfuel can provide a reliable income stream for your business, and coppice can be used to produce further wood products such as wood chippings and temporary fencing. You can also benefit from cost savings - biomass can heat buildings, and commercial woodlands are subject to a range of tax reliefs.

Carbon offsets

Registering with the Woodland Carbon Code allows you to sell carbon units for every tonne of CO₂ sequestered to the government for a guaranteed, index-linked price every 5 to 10 years up to 2055/56 – leaving you free to sell them on the private market. This can help you to generate revenue through their sale or help to offset your business’ carbon emissions.

Recreation

Woodland creation can provide additional annual income from running recreational activities including glamping, cycling and game shoots.

3. Improve your land

Woodland creation as part of an integrated land use model can provide multiple indirect benefits. Woodlands provide a natural form of flood management and improve water quality.

Trees can also help to manage soil and nutrient losses, reduce erosion, and increase productivity by combining trees with crops and livestock for healthier soil – leading to more sustainable yields.

4. Support health and well-being

Scientific studies have shown that forests can improve individuals’ physical and mental health, as well as their social well-being. You can also receive a contribution towards the cost of installing items such as benches, waymarkers and footpaths that support recreation in your woodland. Providing public access to your woodland could also make you eligible for additional Forestry Commission stackable payments for public access, and for being close to settlements.

5. Get paid for planting woodland

Financial support is available through the Forestry Commission and via our partners. Our flagship England Woodland Creation Offer covers standard capital costs and annual maintenance payments as your woodland establishes, with additional stackable payments when delivering wider benefits to society, nature recovery, and the environment.

Discover more available grants.

How can we help

Your local Forestry Commission Woodland Creation Team can support you with further expert advice on woodland creation and guidance on available grants.

Find your local Woodland Creation Team.

Read case studies of landowners already benefitting from woodland creation.

Grants available

Forestry Commission grants

Woodland Creation Planning Grant (WCPG): contributes towards the costs of designing your new woodland in line with the UK Forestry Standard, and offers you access to expert advice from your local Forestry Commission Woodland Creation Team to assist in the production of your plan.

England Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO): covers standard capital costs and annual maintenance payments as your woodland establishes, with additional stackable payments when delivering wider benefits to society, nature recovery, and the environment.

Woodland Carbon Code (WCC): the UK’s voluntary carbon standard for woodland creation projects, providing a standard way to measure the amount of CO₂ your woodland stores.

Woodland Carbon Guarantee (WCaG): provides the option to sell your captured CO₂ to the government for a guaranteed, index-linked price every 5 or 10 years up to 2055/56.

Forestry England Woodland Partnership: a leasehold scheme offering commercial rent to landowners for 60 to 120 years. Forestry England design, plant, and manage your woodland.

Find more information on available woodland creation grants.

Partner woodland creation grants

Discover which grant is most suitable for you by visiting the relevant partner website.

England’s Community Forests Trees for Climate Fund: expert support and up to 100% flexible and bespoke grant funding for up to 15 years. Open to all landowners within any Community Forest area.

The National Forest: generous grants and support for tree planting, forest creation and habitat management in the Midlands, available to landowners within the 200 square miles of the National Forest.

Northern Forest: a partnership between the Woodland Trust, four Community Forests – Mersey Forest, Manchester City of Trees, White Rose Forest, Humber Forest – and the Community Forest Trust, with funding from the government’s Nature for Climate Fund. You can secure up to 100% of the capital costs of woodland design, planning and creation and a generous maintenance budget.

Woodland Trust: offers three national schemes - MOREwoods and MOREhedges covering up to 75% of the costs for a range of woodland and hedgerow creation, starting from 1.25 acres or 100 metres of new hedging, and Trees for Your Farm, funding up to 100% of costs for bespoke agroforestry schemes.

Find out more

Find more guidance on woodland creation and information on available grants and support.

Forestry Commission blog
Forestry Commission on Twitter
Forestry Commission on YouTube