Rural Payments and Services

For recent changes to this guidance, please see the bottom of the page.

This is available for the felling of Phytophthora ramorum infected larch or inaccessible / uneconomic larch 26 years of age or older where it can be shown, to Scottish Forestry's reasonable satisfaction, that removal would not otherwise be feasible.

Where a qualified agent can demonstrate to Scottish Forestry's reasonable satisfaction that access or other site constraints prevent the removal of coupes containing infected larch (26 years of age or older) being undertaken at or above break-even, or in certain cases, where it can be shown that removal would not otherwise be feasible within the deadline required by the Statutory Plant Health Notice.

Grant is not available for other tree or shrub species unless felling of such material is absolutely necessary on sites to allow for the safe clearance of the larch within the Statutory Plant Health Notice area. Additional trees and shrubs removed for operational or economic reasons will not be eligible for support.

Heterobasidium annosum (formerly Fomes annosus) is a serious and persistent threat to British woodlands, particularly to coniferous stands. Larch stumps pose one of the highest risks of infection. Therefore we strongly recommend that stump treatment is undertaken on all larch felling sites. This is particularly important if it is intended to replant with other conifers. Current Forest Research guidance is available for risk-based stump treatment.

We will only approve your application if you agree to replant any area of woodland you clear.