social enterprises

woodland evaluation, management plans and woodland improvement grants (Wig)

Whether your social enterprise is at the early stages of planning or if you are already up and running, I can help with the current and future management of woodland within its remit.

I have the experience to assess a woodland and identify any opportunities or constraints that could affect its future development.

Such information is useful in so many ways, from the production of scoping reports to facilitate engagement with the community and to make a case for community ownership, to approved forest plans that provide access to management grants and identify the optimal timing of timber harvesting and restocking events.    

The Scotland Rural Development Programme (SRDP) offers a wide range of woodland improvement grants (WIG) that provide funding to promote the good stewardship of your community woodland. These grants can help to reduce the financial burden of a wide range of activities that increase the value of the  woodland (both intrinsically and in real terms),  make it a more satisfying place for owners and visitors alike, and improves habitats to deliver conservation and environmental benefits.  

Despite the uncertainties regarding agricultural and rural grants after BREXIT, it is business as usual as far as Forestry Commission Scotland and the Scottish Government are concerned, with the SRDP still providing support for a wide range of forestry and affiliated activities, including:

• The construction of forest roads, paths and other access improvements.

• Restocking after timber harvesting.

• Dealing with rhododendron, bracken and other unwanted vegetation.

• Deer and stock fencing.

• Woodland clearance, thinning or tree removal activity.

• Small-scale tree planting.

• Promoting the natural regeneration of trees.

• Providing visitor information boards and waymarking.

• Paying contractors working on a day-rate.

• Ditch blocking.

• Preparing forest management plans, deer management plans, and woodland grazing management plans.

• Weeding and the control of invasive non native species.

• Habitat monitoring.

• Managing woodlands using low-impact silvicultural systems (LISS).

• Improving the ecological condition of some native woodlands and some plantations.

• Excluding livestock.

• Controlled grazing by domestic stock in some native woodlands and plantations.

• Managing and improving woodlands in urban situations.

• Species conservation activities (including the control of predators and deer).

• Operations to prevent the spread of Phytophthora ramorum.

• Developing collaborative projects on a landscape-scale that involve two or more landowners.

As one would expect, there are conditions associated with most of the above-mentioned activities.  For example, some grants are only available when certain important species or habitats will benefit from the work.  

For those grants that are more freely available, the only condition to be met is that of having a management plan that has been approved by the Forestry Commission.  

A good management plan is therefore an invaluable tool for woodland owners and their managers.  Not only is it useful for management purposes and for grant eligibility purposes, it can also provide a route into forest certification if it is written to be compatible with the UK Woodland Assurance Schedule (UKWAS).

Although there are ongoing annual costs that need to be considered when deciding whether it is worthwhile joining an UKWAS scheme, there are some significant benefits depending on the owner or manager's objectives.

For example, timber from certified woodlands and forests usually moves quicker than that from non-certified sources, which is useful if log stacking space is limited or timing constraints are present.  It can also help avoid the loss of income associated with logs drying and losing weight while waiting at roadside for uplift. 

Occasionally, certified timber from UKWAS woodlands may also attract a small price gain, but this is seldom distinguishable from other factors that influence the price offered by the timber merchant.  

Being an internationally recognised standard of good stewardship and sustainable forest management, UKWAS membership can also be attractive to community enterprises with the desire to demonstrate that the land within their remit is managed in an independently audited environmentally friendly manner.

I am experienced in producing all manner of management plans, from the simple to the complex and I do this in a prompt, efficient and cost effective manner.

I work to an estimate supplied in advance and I will even commit to a fixed price in many situations. This can be useful to social enterprises where complete certainty regarding the management costs is useful. 

Please use the links below for more information on a few of the other ways that I can help.

It is not an exhaustive list, so feel free to use the form and contact details here to send me your own requirements or questions.