Could your land be better off with trees?

Whether you're managing a working farm, planning the future of an estate or looking to make more of existing woodland, trees can play a valuable role in your long-term land management strategy.

But knowing what is right for your land, understanding the funding available and navigating the practicalities can be challenging.

That's where the Western Forest's Better Off With Trees programme comes in, offering free expert support to help landowners and managers understand their options and take forward projects that work for them.

The Western Forest is England's newest national forest – a 1,400 sq mile wooded mosaic spanning Gloucestershire, the West of England and Wiltshire.

“Our ambition is to create a more connected landscape of trees and woodland that supports nature, people and the rural economy,” explains Jack McCrickland, Woodland and Nature Recovery Manager at The Western Forest.

“Unlike the idea of a single, continuous forest, the Western Forest will be shaped by a diverse mosaic of woodland, trees within farmland, hedgerows and other wooded habitats, integrated into the wider landscape.

“Landowners have a central role to play in shaping this vision. By making decisions that work for their individual holdings, they can also contribute to something much bigger: a more connected wooded landscape for future generations.”

Every landholding is different, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach to tree planting or woodland management.

For some, the opportunity may lie in integrating trees into existing agricultural operations, providing shelter for livestock or creating more resilient farming systems.

For others, establishing productive woodland could form part of a long-term diversification or estate strategy, with potential future income from timber and other woodland-related opportunities.

Bringing neglected or under-managed woodland areas into active management can help owners make better use of an existing asset while supporting biodiversity and other land management objectives.

Better Off With Trees helps landowners and managers explore these possibilities through four areas of support:

• Trees for Farms: Integrating trees into existing farming systems to complement agricultural operations, including wooded pasture, trees within crops and restoring or establishing orchards, hedgerows and shelterbelts.
• Productive Forestry: Exploring the creation of new woodland for timber production and other long-term commercial opportunities, with support around design, funding, planning and approvals.
• Wildlife Woodlands: Creating woodland with nature recovery at its heart, from smaller areas of planting to larger woodland projects that can help connect habitats across the landscape.
• Woodland Management: Bringing existing woodland into active management, with specialist advice and support to develop plans that reflect the owner's priorities, whether commercial, environmental or a combination of both.

The right approach will depend on the land, its current use and the owner's objectives.

Tree planting and woodland management can involve complex decisions about land use, financial returns, grant eligibility, long-term commitments and regulatory requirements. Better Off With Trees is designed to make that process easier.

Landowners and managers who get in touch are connected with a local Tree Advisor, who will take time to understand their land, priorities and ambitions.

There is no need to arrive with a detailed planting plan or a firm commitment to create woodland. An initial conversation is simply an opportunity to understand what might be possible.

Depending on the project, support can include assessing opportunities, developing an approach, accessing specialist expertise, identifying suitable grants and funding, navigating applications and approvals and helping move plans towards delivery. Crucially, landowners remain in control of decisions about their land throughout the process.

The service is free to access, while funding for individual projects depends on the land, proposal and relevant grant schemes.

With landowners balancing commercial pressures, environmental responsibilities and decisions about the future of their holdings, trees and woodland deserve consideration as part of wider land-use planning.

The value of Better Off With Trees is in helping landowners and managers understand those considerations, access the right expertise and make informed decisions based on their own circumstances.

And as individual projects develop across the region, they can collectively contribute to the Western Forest's wider ambition.

If you own or manage land within the Western Forest area, or advise someone who does, Better Off With Trees offers a practical starting point for exploring the opportunities.

Whether you're considering a new woodland, looking at ways to integrate trees into your farm or wondering how to improve existing woodland, the first step is a conversation.