Western Forest launches support for farmers and landowners

Landowners and managers within the Western Forest area are being invited to explore how trees and woodland could work for their land, with free expert support available through their Better Off With Trees service.

From trees integrated into working farms and productive woodland to wildlife habitat and better management of existing woods, the opportunities are designed around each landholding and what its owner or manager wants to achieve.

The Western Forest is a new 1,400 sq mile wooded mosaic spanning Gloucestershire, the West of England and Wiltshire – and the first national forest to be created in England for a generation. Rather than creating one continuous forest, it will bring together trees, woodland and other wooded habitats across farms, estates and other land to create a more connected landscape.

Through the Forest’s Better Off With Trees programme, landowners and managers can access free expert support to identify where trees could add value and resilience to their land, explore suitable funding and take projects forward, while remaining in control of every decision.

“Making an enquiry does not commit anyone to planting trees or changing how their land is used,” says Jack McCrickard, Woodland and Nature Recovery Manager at The Western Forest. 

“You don’t need to know what you want to plant or come to us with a plan. Our job is to listen first and understand your land, priorities and long-term objectives, then explore what could work for your particular situation.

“If there is an opportunity you want to take forward, we can help with everything from site assessment and project design to funding applications, planning, approvals and practical delivery – all free to the landowner.”

Funding and paperwork without the headache

A major benefit of the Better Off With Trees offer is helping people navigate what can otherwise be a complicated funding and approvals landscape.

The Western Forest now has up to £500,000 available in funding grants for projects looking to plant trees, bring woodland into management, improve access, and to help promote the offer to other landowners. This funding is for projects that can take place this planting season.

Depending on the project, other grants and funding routes can contribute towards the establishment and ongoing management of trees and woodland. A local Tree Advisor can help identify suitable options, as well as navigate applications and approvals.

Trees that work for your land

Better Off With Trees supports different approaches depending on the land and what its owner or manager wants to achieve:

• Trees for Farms helps integrate trees into existing farming systems, including wooded pasture, trees within crops, orchard restoration and hedges or shelterbelts. Depending on the farm and its goals, trees could provide shelter for livestock and crops, support wildlife, diversify income and help build resilience to extreme weather like flooding and heatwaves. 
• Productive Forestry establishes new woodland with a commercial purpose, creating income streams through long-term timber production, carbon income and woodland creation funding, potentially serving as part of a wider land or legacy strategy. 
• Wildlife Woodlands puts nature recovery at the heart of woodland creation. A more nature-first approach, these projects also reconnect fragmented habitats across the wider landscape – making an individual holding part of a much bigger ecosystem.
• Woodland Management helps qualifying landowners make more of woodland they already have with expert management planning. Existing, neglected or under-managed woodland have potential to create income from timber, improve biodiversity, mitigate flooding and provide forage and shelter to livestock. 

Part of something bigger

Each project supported through Better Off With Trees will be shaped around what works for the individual farm, estate or landholding. Together, those decisions will help create the Western Forest, connecting trees and woodland across the region and building a lasting legacy for local communities and future generations.

To find out whether your land is within the Western Forest or how to access funds, click here.