Grant Aid

The England Rural Development Programme

Key national grant aid schemes aimed at protecting and improving the environment and supporting rural development, all now fall within the Rural Development Programme. To find out more please see the Department of the Environment and Rural Affairs website (www.defra.gov.uk)

The English Woodland Grant Scheme

This is the Forestry Commission's suite of grants designed to replace the Woodland Grant Scheme. You can apply for Woodland Planning, Assessment, Regeneration, Management and Improvement Grants. To find out more, see the Forestry Commission website (www.forestry.gov.uk)

The Farm Woodland Scheme

Administered by the Forestry Commission, this scheme provides an annual payment to farmers and landowners for taking land out of arable production or temporary pasture, for the purpose of creating woodland. To find out more, see the Forestry Commission website. (www.forestry.gov.uk)

The Environmental Stewardship Scheme

Administered by DEFRA, this is a new agri-environmental scheme which provides funding to farmers and other land managers in England who deliver effective environmental management on their land. There are three elements; Entry Level Stewardship (ELS), Organic Entry Level Stewardship (OELS), and Higher Level Stewardship (HLS). To find out more, please see the Department for the Environment and Rural Affairs website (www.defra.gov.uk)