Scottish Government

The aim of this Option

To enhance biodiversity and encourage tree regeneration in native woodlands or on Plantations on Ancient Woodland Sites (PAWS) that are actively being restored to native woodland through controlled livestock grazing.

The aims of this option are to:

• Maintain or enhance the condition of native woodland habitat
• Maintain or increase the overall extent of priority woodland habitat where feasible and desirable

Rates of Support

These are Annually Recurrent Grants, the rates of which are shown on the Sustainable Management of Forests page

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.
• This Option mainly applies to native woodlands although we will consider applications on PAWS sites that are actively being restored to native woodland, and in other non-native woodlands where woodland grazing would benefit priority species e.g. black grouse
• Priority will be given to management that will bring Sites of Special Scientific Interest and 'Natura' sites into 'favourable condition' and for UK Biodiversity Action Plan woodland habitats and species
• The woodland must be at least 5 hectares in size. There is no size threshold on sites designated as SSSI.
• You must have a Grazing Management Plan prepared with the help of the Woodland Grazing Toolbox
• All your proposed management 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:

• Grazing Management Plan
  The grazing plan must take account of the impact of grazing by wild deer. Deer control, if required, must accord with a Deer Management Plan agreed with Scottish Natural Heritage
• Forestry Outcome Plan
  The Forestry Outcome Plan will ask for certain information so that we can assess your proposal. This will include:
• A description of what the grazing will achieve with evidence that your proposed regime will achieve the desired outcomes
• A map
  A map that shows the area of woodland where controlled livestock grazing will take place during the plan period. To ensure you mark your map correctly, please use the Mapping Guidance
• A letter of support or a reference to advisory material
  Produced by a recognised conservation organisation as evidence to support the adoption of a grazing management regime

You may also be able to apply for grant for other capital items such as eradicating and removing vegetation, temporary fencing, water troughs, pumps and stock bridges. These are available under the Woodland Improvement Grant option.

Claims and Inspections

The grant for Woodland Grazing is an Annual Recurrent Grant and can be paid for up to 5 years. You must complete the Single Application Form (SAF) to claim this funding.

Read more about making your claim and the deadline dates

List of links to relevant technical guidance

Further technical guidance for Sustainable Management of Forests

Forest plans

Deer management plan

UK Forestry Standard - www.forestry.gov.uk/pdf/fcfc001.pdf/$FILE/fcfc001.pdf

Joint Agency Fencing Guidance -

http://www.snh.gov.uk/land-and-sea/managing-wildlife/managing-deer/sites/fencing/