Woodland Improvement Grant

Date published: 4 February, 2020

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

Table of Contents



The aim of this option is to provide capital grants for a range of activities in existing woodlands that will:

  • encourage natural regeneration and benefit priority habitats and species
  • increase species and structural diversity through low impact silvicultural systems management
  • contribute to the sustainable management of urban woodlands and improve public access
  • support the preparation of forest and / or management plans that set out management objectives for the woodland
  • improve the biodiversity, resilience, and structural diversity of even aged woodlands

The grant support for this category includes a range of Woodland Improvement Grant options.

Click on the options below to get more detailed eligibility requirements.

Woodland Improvement Grant option Grant payment
Habitats and Species Standard costs for capital works and items from a set list. Also, actual costs are available for work in woodland Sites of Special Scientific Interest and Natura sites where you can demonstrate that the actual costs of the eligible capital items will be higher than the set standard costs list for this option.
Low Impact Silvicultural Systems (LISS) Standard costs for capital works and items from a set list.
Woods In and Around Towns (WIAT) Standard costs for capital works and items from a set list.
Planning  
Long-term Forest Plan £25 per hectare for first 200 hectares.
£5 per hectare thereafter.
Minimum £500; maximum £15,000.
Forest Plan Renewal £10 per hectare for first 200 hectares
£5 per hectare thereafter
Minimum £500; maximum £10,000
Woodland Grazing Management Plan £1200 per plan
Woods In and Around Towns (WIAT) – Urban Woodland Management Plan £1000 for any area up to 10 hectares
£25 per hectare thereafter
Deer Management Plan £12 per hectare for first 500 hectares
£1 per hectare thereafter
Minimum £5,000; maximum £15,000
Restructuring Regeneration  
Delivering UKFS Woodland £300 per hectare
Delivering Diversity and Resilience Woodland £550 per hectare
Improved Vegetative Stock for Sitka Spruce £60 per hectare

Your application and proposed management work must comply with the UK Forestry Standard.

Land ownership

If you are a tenant then a landlord’s declaration must be provided with your application. The control of the land must extend for the duration of the proposed contract.

If you are a contractual licensee then the Contractual License must be provided with your application. The control of the land must extend for the duration of the proposed contract.

You should submit your Forestry Grant Scheme capital claim once you have satisfactorily completed all the agreed work, as detailed within your contract.

You should also submit a map identifying the works that have been completed. We may inspect the capital items you claim to ensure that the work has been carried out to the correct specification.

We recognise that from time to time you may need to amend your approved application due to unforeseen circumstances. If you would like to make changes, contact your local office to seek agreement to variations.

Contact us

Please note that we cannot increase the value of your grants awarded in your contract by a variation due to the competitive nature of our grants approval process. You must still tell us if you intend to make any changes to the agreed work in your contract.

Once you have submitted your Forestry Grant Scheme capital claim at any time of the year, then our processing, including inspections, will take place immediately.

For all Woodland Improvement Grant claims, we will aim to carry out the inspection and process the result (either payment to you or feedback to you about meeting the minimum standards) within Scottish Forestry's claims payment timeframes that will be developed within our customer charter.

We will let you know the results of our inspection as soon as it has been completed. We will tell you if you have not met the minimum standards, the implications of this and what should happen next.

Section Change
Eligibility Removal of requirement for crofters to notify the Crofting Commission

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Forestry Grant Scheme