Tree Health Pilot grant extended
Defra has announced the Tree Health Pilot grant is being extended until the launch of the full nationwide Tree Health grant scheme, to ensure no disruption in the provision of grants.
The pilot, delivered by the Forestry Commission, pays land managers and farmers to undertake actions including bio-secure felling and treatment of diseased or infested trees, together with restocking and maintenance of newly re-planted trees following a pest or disease outbreak.
The extension announced recently will introduce new opportunities for funding, including:
- Expanded support for ash trees affected by ash dieback
- Simplified processes, new, increased rates for Oak Processionary Moth (OPM) offer and refined eligibility (to Local Authorities)
- Expanded eligibility for the Tree Health Advice Package to land managers without a Statutory Plant Health Notice (SPHN) in the new ‘proactive spruce removal area’ within the Ips typographus demarcated areat
- New increased hourly facilitation fee for expert facilitators
- Addition of rake and burn to existing mulching payment rate. Option for land managers to apply for mulching/rake and burn in felling grant if specified in SPHN.
- Increase from 40% to 60% intervention rate for permanent infrastructure.
Stakeholders interested in signing up to the Tree Health Pilot can apply immediately, and can still receive funding from other agri-environment or woodland initiatives (provided that the funding is not being used for the same action).
The Pilot operates in the following regions: North West, West Midlands, South East, London and East Anglia (in Ips typographus demarcated area).
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