Scottish Government

The aim of this Option

This Option aims to provide support for operations that will benefit specific habitats or species that are a priority under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan

Rates of Support

These are two Capital grants. Both are paid upon satisfactory completion of the proposed activities.

• Standard Cost Capital Items. There is a set list of eligible items.
• Actual Cost Capital Items - in certain designated site circumstances, actual costs can be applied for.

Eligibility criteria

• You must own or lease the land
• If you are a tenant or contractual licensee, you must discuss the proposed application with your landlord to make sure it does not break the conditions of your tenancy or licence, and submit a Landlord Notification Form with your Proposal.
• If you have a tenancy or a licence with less than five years to run you must complete a Landlord Declaration form and ask your Landlord or the landowner to sign the declaration on that form.
• You must provide a Management Plan that sets out the aims and the rationale for proposed operations and how the proposals will benefit priority habitats under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan.
• You can include up to 20% of your proposed area as non-woodland and associated open ground habitat provided this habitat is integral to the woodland, (i.e.: either surrounded by woodland or comprising the tree-line/moorland fringe).
• If you are removing trees, you must have an approved unconditional Felling Licence for woodland clearance.
• Heather restoration or management funding is available where heather restoration is required within Black Grouse core areas. Where used to support the Woodland Improvement Grant option, heather restoration or management funding is also available within Capercaillie core areas.
• If the proposal is within a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) the proposals must accord with objectives set out in the site management statement which must be supplied in support of your proposal.
• Any operations under this option must be additional to any that might be receiving grant support through Sustainable Management of Forests options
• All of your proposed work must comply with the UK Forestry Standard

Details you need to provide with your Proposal

Before your Proposal reaches the "Proposal Commit" stage you must provide:

• A Management Plan
• A map showing the boundary of the area within which you will be carrying out the work. To ensure you mark your map correctly, please use the Mapping Guidance
• A Forestry Outcome Plan. The Forestry Outcome Plan will ask for certain information so that we can assess your proposal. If you are removing woodland to create open ground you must give the number of your Felling Licence

Grants

1. Standard Cost Capital items: List of eligible operations and payment rates

You must carry out the work to a minimum standard. Click on the link in the table below to see the specification for that minimum standard. You must ensure that the completed work is maintained and is functional during the period of your contract.

2. Actual Cost Capital Items:

In addition to the capital items, financial support of 100% of eligible actual costs is available as follows:

• Work within SSSI's or Natura sites

You can claim for work carried out on these sites that is designed to bring the special features that they contain into favourable condition. More details about eligible work and rules for claiming.

• Eradication of rhododendron in woodlands

If the woodland is not native or ancient, then you will still be eligible for actual cost capital works if the area is covered by a Regional Rhododendron Control Strategy. Please check with your local Forestry Commission Scotland Conservancy to find out if a control strategy is in place.

3. How to claim Actual Costs

If you wish to claim Actual Costs, you must supply all the supporting information and quotes required as detailed in 'Quotes & estimates'

Any 'Actual Costs' that you submit must be for activities or items that are directly related to the work to be carried out as explained in your Management Plan.

4. Net costs and Actual Costs - taking account of income

You must take account of any income from activities or operations for which you are claiming 'Actual Costs' when calculating the value to enter into the 'Actual Cost' capital item table.

5. How to enter details of quotes higher than the Standard Cost rate

If you wish to carry out work that is already listed in the Standard Cost capital items but at a higher rate, based upon your quotes, then don't select the capital item from the 'Standard Cost' list of capital items. Instead, enter the item name into the 'Actual Cost' capital item table along with the actual cost.

6. Activities or items not in the 'Standard Cost capital items list

You must be able to justify that activities or items not in the 'Standard Cost' capital items list meet the eligibility criteria of the chosen Regional Priority, Package and Option, and that they will result in appropriate outcomes for this WIG option. Enter the item name into the 'Actual Cost' capital item table along with the actual cost.

Claims and Inspections

Once you have completed the works to the desired specification, then you should submit a capital claim.

You cannot make a claim for an area or quantity that exceeds those agreed in your contract. You must claim as detailed in your Schedule of Works, e.g. you cannot make an interim claim for part of the area shown on a single line of your Schedule of Works.

For details of the procedure for submitting claims and for details of the supporting information you should submit along with your claim please see the overview for Standard Cost and Actual cost Capital Payments

We will inspect the completed work to ensure that this meets the agreed management plan and the specification of agreed operations.

List of links to relevant technical guidance

The UK Forestry Standard

Deer Commission for Scotland Best Practice Guidance

Joint Agency Fencing Guidance

FCS Guidance 'Management Plans for Semi-Natural Woodlands'

FCS Guidance 'Deer Impact Reduction'

FCS Guidance 'Long Term Forest Planning'

FC Forest Practice Guide ' Restoration of Native Woodland on Ancient Woodland Sites'

FC Forest Practice Guides to the Management of Semi- Natural Woodlands

Species Action Notes for Capercaillie, Black Grouse and Red Squirrel

Habitat management for Black Grouse

Habitat management for Capercaillie