Understanding the Countryside Stewardship Scheme and Its Woodland Supplements WS1, WS3, FG11, and FY1 in the UK (with 2024 update)

The UK government offers a variety of grants to support environmental improvements and conservation efforts. Among these are the Woodland Supplement WS1 – Deer Control and Management, the Woodland Supplement WS3 – Squirrel Control and Management, the Deer Exclosure Plot (FG11), the Deer High Seat (FY1), and several others under the Countryside Stewardship Scheme (CSS). These grants are designed to support the management and improvement of woodland areas, particularly in relation to deer control, squirrel control, biodiversity enhancement, and other environmental benefits.

Countryside Stewardship Scheme

The CSS provides financial incentives for farmers, foresters, and land managers to look after and improve the environment. The scheme is designed to protect and enhance the natural environment by increasing biodiversity, improving habitat, expanding woodland areas, and improving water and air quality. It also aims to improve natural flood management.

The CSS is made up of eight grants, managed by the Rural Payments Agency (RPA). These grants include the Woodland Supplement WS1 – Deer Control and Management, the Woodland Supplement WS3 – Squirrel Control and Management, the Deer Exclosure Plot (FG11), the Deer High Seat (FY1), and others.

Woodland Supplement WS1 – Deer Control and Management

The WS1 grant is designed to support the control and management of deer populations in woodland areas. It's used in conjunction with the CSS Woodland Improvement Option WD2. The goal is to increase the use of lethal control of deer to help protect the biodiversity and structure of the woodland. This will also likely lead to wider environmental benefits beyond the site boundary.

The WS1 grant provides a payment of £90 per hectare (HA) per annum [2024 - £105]. This supplement is available for Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier on whole or part parcels where deer have been identified in the Woodland Management Plan as a threat to semi-natural woodlands, regeneration, and/or where deer browsing negatively impacts on woodland features, ground flora, or structure. The requirement for WS1 is that 4 hours of stalking effort is spent per HA of woodland per annum. For an illustrative 100HA site, that would mean 400hrs per annum, or approximately 100 outings. This should be manageable by a committed individual but by involving more people it spreads the burden and makes the target far easier to achieve .

Woodland Supplement WS3 – Squirrel Control and Management

The WS3 grant is designed to support the control and management of squirrel populations in woodland areas. The aim of this supplement is to manage the population of invasive grey squirrels and help increase the population of native red squirrels.

The WS3 grant provides a payment of £50 per HA per annum [2024 - £60]. This supplement is available for Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier on whole or part parcels. To be eligible for this grant, applicants must work with their deer officer/woodland officer to produce a Squirrel Control Plan (SCP), take part in Grey Squirrel control training, erect an agreed number of traps within the woodland as shown in the SCP, and carry out agreed levels of culling activity.

Deer Exclosure Plot (FG11)

The FG11 grant is designed to protect areas of woodland from deer browsing. This grant provides a payment of £212.56 per unit and is available for Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier and Higher Tier Capital Grants on woodland, wood pasture, scrub, heathland, and moorland or grassland restoration. The aim is to protect areas of woodland that are approximately 16 square metres in size from deer browsing, allowing for the monitoring of the area’s regeneration potential and the impact of browsing.

Deer High Seat (FY1)

The FY1 grant provides money for 'high seats'. These are safe, temporary vantage points from which to cull deer, reducing the impact their browsing has on the land. This grant provides a payment of £265 per unit and is available for Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier, Higher Tier Capital Grants, and Woodland tree health.

Payment and Tax Considerations

WD 2 itself provides a grant of £1,000 for 3ha - 10ha sites and £100 per ha thereafter [2024 - £127]. WS1, WS3 and WD2 are paid annually for an agreed term of up to five years. An illustrative 5 hectare site could see grant income of £1,600 per annum totalling £8,000 over a five year term [2024 - £1,642 - 10 years - £16,420]. Much larger sites attracting significantly higher grants. Additionally, agent fees are included in the grant, reducing the financial burden on applicants. Importantly, the capital grants can be written off for tax purposes, providing further financial benefits.

How WildTrackPro Can Help

WildTrackPro is a comprehensive wildlife management tool that can assist land managers in meeting the requirements of the WS1, WS3, FG11, and FY1 grants. With its advanced tracking and reporting features, WildTrackPro can help land managers effectively monitor and manage deer and squirrel populations in their woodland areas.

Specifically, WildTrackPro can collect the necessary data for these grants, auto-populate the required forms, and assist in the submission and monitoring of applications. This streamlines the process, ensuring that land managers can focus on the practical aspects of wildlife management while WildTrackPro handles the administrative tasks.

Conclusion

The Countryside Stewardship (CS) scheme, including the Woodland Supplement WS1, Woodland Supplement WS3, Deer Exclosure Plot (FG11), and Deer High Seat (FY1), offers valuable support for those managing woodland areas in the UK. By providing financial incentives, these grants encourage the control and management of deer and squirrel populations, the protection of woodland areas from deer browsing, and the provision of safe vantage points for deer culling. However, these grants come with specific requirements and obligations, so it's important to fully understand these before applying.

For more detailed information, consult the original documents or contact the Forestry Commission. And for assistance in meeting these requirements, consider using a comprehensive wildlife management tool like WildTrackPro.