Grants - new woodland capital grants are now open for applications.

The new woodland capital grants are now open for applications. They cover three areas:

Woodland Creation - Deadline for 1st stage application: 30th April 2015
Areas to be planted must be over 3ha. Smaller blocks over 1ha might be considered where it would improve water quality or flood risk.  Some woodland managers will then be able to apply for a 10 year maintenance plan under Countryside Stewardship.

Woodland Management Plan - Deadline: 30th June 2015
This is essential for future applications if you wish to apply for Countryside Stewardship, Countryside Productivity Scheme (in certain situations) and will also be needed for any EWGS first claims after 1st  April 2015 and any EWGS claims after the first of January 2016, except for creation. You need to use the FC management plan template and have over 3ha of woodland on your holding in order to receive a grant.  There is a minimum grant of £1000.  There is also an unfunded small management template, that can be used for any woodlands under 10 hectares.

Plant Health - Deadline: 30th June 2015
There are grants to remove diseased plants and to restock.  These are available to people who have already had a Statutory Plant Health Notice (SPHN) or who have had Chalara confirmed on their holding.

You can find the latest information from Defra on their website:
www.gov.uk/government/publications/cap-reform-february-2015-update.

You will need to register online with the RPA to obtain a customer reference number, allowing you to submit applications and claim grant payments.   Forms will need to be sent to the Forestry Commission by post or email before the deadline.

If you are applying for Woodland Creation Grants, you are advised to contact your local woodland officer as soon as you can, after submitting your application to give plenty of time for advice and site visits. Your woodland officer will need to make a site visit and discuss your plans and you will then need to submit a final version by 31st May 2015. Useful information you should find helpful in preparing your application can be found at:  www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/BEEH-9SZH46 

Upcoming grants

In the February update from Defra, you will also find more information about the Countryside Productivity Scheme and Countryside Stewardship. Capital grants under Countryside Productivity are due to open imminently and they will include small scale forestry processing and wood harvesting and extraction. They are focussed around improving productivity, efficiency and innovation and are similar to the old FFIS grants. There will be a small grant scheme for projects between £2,500 and £35,000 and a large grant scheme for projects requiring over £35,000; they will cover up to 40% of costs.
There is a contact list to keep people informed about the new Countryside Productivity Scheme grants when they open. If you would like to be added to that list, please contact Kate Tobin, South West Forestry Commission, kate.tobin@forestry.gsi.gov.uk  with your name, business name, phone number, address and email and the nature of the investment you might like to make. You can also keep an eye on the official Cap Reform blog for the latest updates.

Tree Health Newsletter

The Forestry Commission has launched a new Tree Health update.  This publication has been created due to the high demand for regular pest and disease updates from the sector, for the sector, and will be published three times a year, with both national and regional content. Tree Health News was initially trialled last December in the North West and West Midlands and has received extremely positive feedback.  This trial edition can be found here. If you would like to sign up to receive this update use the following link. The first issue will be sent to you in March. We would really value your feedback on the e-newsletter and your ideas on what else you would like it to cover.  Please feel free to pass on to your own contacts and networks.  http://eepurl.com/beqnEP

Events - 2015

Renewable Energy Marketplace: 21st April 2015

The FC will be at the Renewable Energy Marketplace run by Regen SW on Tuesday 21st April at Westpoint Arena, near Exeter, between 10am and 4pm. This is the biggest energy efficiency exhibition in the South West, with 100 companies attending, showcasing smart energy solutions and plenty of talks and demonstrations. This will be a great chance to find out more about renewable heat and woodfuel supply chains. They have also offered us a discount code giving a 20% discount off the price of an exhibition or conference ticket. The discount code is ‘Forest’ and can be applied here: www.renewableenergymarketplace.co.uk

Other events

Royal Cornwall Show
 4th 5th  & 6th  June
 Wadebridge

ConFor Woodland Show
 10th & 11th  September
 Longleat

Tree Health events
 October: dates tbc
 2 SW locations

HELP US ENSURE FUTURE FUNDING FOR AONB PROJECTS

The AONB and the Community Partnership Executive of North Dorset (CPEND) jointly prepared the ‘Sowing SEEDS’ bid to Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) in 2008. It was developed to support innovative activities and projects by rural communities, businesses (including farmers, growers and foresters) and community organisations within the area.

This funding was the first of its kind to cover the entire AONB area and offered new prospects to local communities of all ages, with innovative project ideas.

Between 2009 and 2013, the Local Action Group (LAG), made up of representatives from the local community, decided which community based initiatives or projects received funding from ‘Sowing SEEDS’. The contribution that the Sowing SEEDS LAG has made to the rural community has been significant. In total it has supported 35 initiatives and awarded grants worth over £1.28 million to grassroots focused, small-scale, innovative projects , generating an impressive range of benefits for the area.

Case Studies

A number of individual case studies which reflect the diversity and range of the projects the LAG has supported throughout this programme period will shortly be available on the Sowing SEEDS website, please visit: http://www.sowing-seeds.org.uk/projects.html

Successful Projects

The following projects received funding through Sowing SEEDS.  Those highlighted in bold are within the AONB. These come to a total of just under £500,000 but each project will have levered in significant amounts of additional match funding. Many of the other projects directly and indirectly benefit the AONB communities and environment.

Hindon Village Shop	£19,231.00
Blackmore Vale Butchery	£8,750.00
Shaftesbury Film Unit	£8,000.00
Dorset Farmers Market	£5,938.00
Blandford Allotments - Machinery Ring	£9,996.00
Feasibility Study, Training Unit	£10,000.00
CPEND Broadband	£9,500.00
Motcombe Community Shop	£29,556.00
Future Roots	£128,600.00
Food Mill Feasibility Study	£9,350.00
Kingston Lacy Growing Spaces	£30,914.00
Let's go H20	£9,200.00
Gillingham Town Design Statement	£4,800.00
Mere Chambers	£8,546.00
Wimborne BID	£10,000.00
Countryside Centre Phase 1	£6,378.50
Henry's Buttons	£10,000.00
Economic Spine	£9,950.00
Tisbury Chambers	£8,546.00
Leisure Credits	£113,525.68
Rural DORMEN	£22,500.00
Lordsmead Mill Micro Hydro	£34,347.55
Peggs Farm Micro Hydro	£21,807.00
Benjafield Farm Micro Hydro	£31,213.00
Employability Skills Base	£146,827.00
Semley Shop	£49,548.50
Driving Rural Business	£62,221.00
Sustainable Tourism	£58,285.00
Trailway Wood Fuels retort system	£11,654.40
CHAT Hub	£198,369.00
Chalke Valley Community Hub	£91,734.00
Bangers & Bacon	£10,000.00
Stourhead Kindling	£9,960.00
Blandford Car Club	£9,266.00
Kingston Lacy Glasshouses	£38,345.00

The next Rural Development Programme

The next Rural Development Programme is anticipated to start during 2015 and will run until 2020. The Sowing SEEDS Local Action Group has been awarded funding to cover the period of transition between the current and future Rural Development Programmes during 2014. The funding will allow the Sowing SEEDS programme staff to begin a thorough participatory consultation period with communities across the whole LAG area. The LAG will be seeking views from local communities and businesses to inform the content of the new strategy. Activity to gather these views will include:

• A series of public consultation meetings
• Recruitment of new LAG members and formation of a new LAG Executive Committee
• Gathering background information about the Sowing SEEDS LAG area
• Seeking views from previously funded LEADER projects

The information gathered from these meetings will inform the preparation of a new Local Development Strategy (LDS). This strategy will set development priorities for the next funding period.

How you can help ensure that local action continues in this area:

1.    Complete a very short on-line survey - The future success of Local Action relies entirely on the local community. Your input is needed to help shape the future of Local Action in this area, so even if you feel you have had little or nothing to do with this programme your response is very much appreciated.

All completed surveys will be anonymous and a summary of the results will be used to help prepare the final programme evaluation. Please follow the link below:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/M8ZP98Y  

2. Project ideas – Although currently there isn’t any funding available for the remainder of this programme period, we would still like to hear from you if you have a project idea that you would like to discuss. We are keeping a list of prospective projects so we can contact you when we know when future funding becomes available. Please contact the Sowing SEEDS office if you would like to be added to this list and receive further news of funding opportunities.

3. Take part in one of the of Consultation Workshops - The current LAG have organised six meetings that will take place across the LAG area throughout February and March 2014. The workshops will be an opportunity to share your views, opinions and ideas about the future of LAG activity in the area. As always light refreshments will be served on arrival.

Schedule of meetings: ·         Wednesday 19th February 2014.  6pm - Sturminster Newton ·         Wednesday 26th February 2014.  6pm - Broad Chalke ·         Wednesday 5th    March 2014.     6pm - Bourton ·         Wednesday 12th March 2014.      6pm - Sixpenny Handley ·         Wednesday 19th March 2014.      6pm - Maiden Bradley ·         Wednesday 26th March 2014.      6pm – Semley

4. For up-to-date information about the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) visit: http://rdpenetwork.defra.gov.uk/

Please contact Sarah Dyke-Bracher – Programme Manager on 07826 907361 for further details

LWEC new funding for tree health

The Living With Environmental Change (LWEC) Partnership will shortly be announcing on its website (www.lwec.org.uk) a new initiative to fund research into tree pests and pathogens, and associated plant biosecurity. 

At least £6.5M will be available for research projects. Trees make a huge impact on our rural and urban landscapes and contribute to a vital part of our heritage, rural economy and well-being. In the last few years, several new pests and pathogens have emerged as significant risks to the UK’s woodlands, commercial forests and urban trees. The outbreak of ash dieback at the end of 2012 illustrates how rapidly new diseases can take hold, and the scale of the threat they can pose to trees. This new initiative will require collaboration between specialists in tree or forest research, and leading-edge scientists from the wider natural, biological, social, economic or other relevant research communities who have other, broader expertise that could help to advance our knowledge about tree health and disease.  

There will be a Town Meeting in London on 14 February where LWEC will be providing more information.  This meeting will also provide an opportunity for researchers who do not currently work on tree health but who have expertise which may be relevant to this area to meet potential collaborative partners, and learn more about current research in this area. 

The Town Meeting is free of charge to attend but please email tree.health@bbsrc.ac.uk to reserve a place.

Shaping the future of our forests

To help develop its response to the Independent Panel on Forestry’s report, Defra has published the first of a series of short public surveys. This will help shape the Government’s decision around the future of England’s forests, woods and trees. Please do take a few moments to feed your views into this process.


AONB Project Development Officer David Blake, said: “Following on from the Independent Panel on Forestry’s report, which promotes the idea of a great increase in woodland cover in England, the Government is now offering everyone the chance to shape its plan for the sustainable management of our forests. If you want to have your voice heard, even in a very small way, in what happens to our woodlands in the future, then please respond to this survey as a matter of priority.”

Defra asks in the survey:

1. Do you want to see more woodland created in or near to your local community?

2. If yes, what single thing would make the biggest difference to increasing the amount of woodland in or near your community?

3. What would encourage you to visit local woodland more?
If you love our forests, woods and trees please do try to find the time to respond. Thank you!

Independent Panel on Forestry – Government Response

fill in our online survey, or contact us at forestryresponse@defra.gsi.gov.uk