Landowners and managers across England are invited to apply for an innovative package of fully-funded advice, providing vital information to support them in taking the next steps in managing existing woodland and/or creating new wooded areas.
The fully-funded advice is being delivered under the PIES (Protect Improve Expand Sustain) project. It is run by a consortium of partners involving Sylva Foundation, the Forest Canopy Foundation, and Grown in Britain, supported by the Forestry Commission and the NFU.
Image (c) Nicholsons Lockhart Garratt
The PIES project includes a network of independent Expert Providers who will deliver high-quality and standardised advice to landowners across England, supporting them in developing plans to manage existing woods and/or for new woodland creation projects. The support will help compliance with the UK Forestry Standard, support achieving Grown in Britain certification, and improve access to the Woodland Carbon Code. Landowners taking part in the project will receive fully-funded support, including one-to-one advice with ongoing online support and technical services. The advisory visit and other outputs have been carefully designed to avoid overlap with activities covered by government incentives. This means that any subsequent activity could still be supported by other grants.
Applications are welcomed that seek to bring existing woodland into sustainable management, and/or from landowners/managers interested in creating new woodland. The advice package is open to landowners and managers in England. It is not open to those with an up-to-date woodland management plan, while those who have the support of an existing expert provider (e.g. land or forestry agent) are also excluded.
The PIES project is funded by the Trees Call to Action Fund. The fund was developed by Defra in partnership with the Forestry Commission and is being delivered by the Heritage Fund.
Applications are now welcome from eligible landowners and managers across England.
Find out more: sylva.org.uk/pies
ENDS
More Information
To speak with a member of the project team, please contact Sylva Foundation:
01865 408018 or info@sylva.org.uk
Applications are invited using an online form available here: sylva.org.uk/pies
The PIES project is funded by the Trees Call to Action Fund, developed by Defra in partnership with the Forestry Commission and administered by the Heritage Fund.
Sylva Foundation is an environmental charity focussing on trees and woodland. It uses its forestry knowledge and information technology skills to provide innovative solutions to some of the greatest environmental challenges facing modern society. Its platform myForest helps more than 9,000 woodland owners and managers care for 160,000ha across Britain. It also provides an environmental matchmaking platform NatureBid which has supported the £24M of funding in the last three years. From its base in south Oxfordshire it runs a Wood Centre and Wood School supporting training and the use of home-grown timber.
www.sylva.org.uk
Forest Canopy Foundation is a not-for-profit partnership of professionals from across the forestry industry who have come together to play their part in mitigating climatic change and reviving biodiversity in the UK. The FCF now manages an innovative scheme combining public and private finance to make it more feasible for landowners to plant trees and is also supporting the industry through an ongoing research and development programme. The FCF has a national network of 11 Expert Providers (EPs) operating under the Foundation’s umbrella. Each EP is certified by FCF’s independent auditor Grown in Britain. Each EP can support landowners with various forms of tree planting, including woodland creation, agroforestry, and hedgerows by providing expert advice and practical support on funding streams available, establishment and long-term management. www.forestcanopyfoundation.co.uk.
Grown in Britain is a not for profit, independent certification body supporting UK forestry and global plant health. GiB works to create a sustainable future for forests and forest products, to increase canopy cover in the UK and to protect our natural habitats from the threat of pests and diseases. Their vision is to put trees and plants at the heart of a healthier, more biodiverse, resilient and prosperous UK economy. www.growninbritain.org
