New grant support to boost woodland grazing

Environment Minister Roseanna Cunningham today (Tuesday 27 April) announced a new grant that will help put Scotland’s livestock to work enhancing the environmental, economic and public amenity value of our semi-natural native woodlands across the country.

The Controlled Livestock Grazing of Woodland grant – available through the SRDP Rural Priorities funding stream - aims to encourage more landowners to adopt dual-land use practices.

The joint initiative between Forestry Commission Scotland, and Scottish Natural Heritage, draws on European Commission funding.

Ms Cunningham said:

"The new grant is a welcome addition to the range of forest-environment payments available to woodland owners and land managers.

"It’s an imaginative approach to encourage more management of semi-natural native woodlands in Scotland through sensitive livestock grazing - an age-old system that these days is not as widely used as it could be.


"It’s a system that encourages tree regeneration and which is also good for grassland, wetland and heath land habitats within woodlands, bringing direct benefits to some species of high conservation importance, such as pearl bordered and marsh fritillary butterflies.

"This initiative will also help to create productive woodlands that will provide raw material for industry and contribute to climate change mitigation and I would encourage more land owners and managers to look more closely at this approach to woodland management."

NFU Scotland will assist in delivering a series of workshops around the country focusing on woodland grazing best practice as well as the grant application process. For more information about the events contact Perth and Argyll Conservancy Office on 01738 442830 or email panda.cons@forestry.gsi.gov.uk

Grant support will be provided through annual payments of £87/hectare/year for a period of five years and this can be supplemented with additional Woodland Improvement Grant funding.

In addition to supporting semi-natural woodland, the grant is also available to potential applicants with Plantation on Ancient Woodland Sites (PAWS) that are actively being restored to native woodland, priority for grant payments will be given to UK Biodiversity Action Plan woodland habitats and species.