Forestry Grant Scheme annual recurrent inspections

Date published: 10 August, 2015

Updates to last version

  • added information on which Forestry Grant Scheme options require annual inspections

We must check at least five per cent of claims for Woodland Creation and Agroforestry maintenance payments and Sustainable Management of Forests Options’ payments each year to comply with European Commission law.

Inspections are carried out on site to check that the works have been carried out and managed in accordance with what you agreed to do and against what you claimed on your Single Application Form (SAF).

The results of inspections can affect how much funding you receive.

The Forestry Grant Scheme options which require annual inspections are:

Our inspector will check the information you provided in your application and your claim for payment and they will check that you are meeting the required regulation and Forestry Grant Scheme option eligibility requirements.

For example, this will involve:

  • checking that the boundaries you have provided for the area of land you are claiming against are correct
  • measuring and assessing the management or new woodland specie type areas within woodland land parcels to check that the eligible area of the land you have claimed against matches the measurements you provided
  • verifying the management requirements that are detailed in the option guidance and your contract terms and conditions are being followed

Our inspections are designed to make sure that the Scottish agriculture and forestry industries comply with European Commission rules and if we do not meet these rules, the European Commission can fine the Scottish Government.

If you do fail part or all of your inspection, we will refer to this as a breach which may result in a reduction of your funding. Any reduction in payments will be assessed depending on how serious the breach is.

Our inspections underpin the correct payment of money under the Scottish Rural Development Programme.

So it’s very important that you keep us up to date with any changes to your land. You can find out about how to keep us updated with any changes in the land change section.

Land change

For more information, contact your local Forestry Commission Scotland conservancy offices.

Forestry Commission Scotland conservancy offices

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