Forestry Commission
The tree health pilot (THP) scheme 2022 will test different ways of slowing the spread of pests and diseases affecting trees in England.
It expands on support already available through the Countryside Stewardship woodland tree health grant.
The results of the pilot, which runs from August 2021 to 2024, will help develop the future funding policy for tree health schemes.
Around 100 grant agreements will be allocated through a competitive application process.
Who can take part
The THP scheme is for people in certain regions of England who manage specific trees or woodlands infected by specific pests and diseases.
You can apply as an individual or on behalf of other people for a group grant (for example, if youre from a local council, a charity or youre a land agent).
Youll usually be invited to take part in the pilot because youve been contacted by a Forestry Commission woodland officer. This will be because you have a specific tree, pest or disease on your land. For example, you might have been given a Statutory Plant Health Notice (SPHN) for trees infected by one of the specified pests or diseases.
If youve not been contacted by a Forestry Commission woodland officer and you read this guidance and think youre eligible, you can express your interest to take part in the scheme.
If you are applying as an individual to take part in the THP scheme, you must be a:
- landowner
- occupier
- tenant
- landlord
- licensor
To take part in the pilot scheme, the trees or woodlands you, or your group (if relevant), manage must have one or more of the following:
- oak with oak processionary moth (OPM) in the Established Area (see map of the Established Area) within London and the South East)
- ash with ash dieback
- larch with Phytophthora ramorum
- spruce growing in the high-risk eight-toothed spruce bark beetle (Ips typographus) area (see map of demarcated area)
- sweet chestnut with Phytophthora ramorum or sweet chestnut blight
The trees or woodlands you manage must be based in one of the following regions of England:
- North West
- West Midlands
- South East and London
Priority may be given to applications within:
- the eight-toothed spruce bark beetle (Ips typographus) demarcated area
- the OPM established area
- specific areas of outstanding natural beauty (Arnside and Silverdale, Malvern hills, Shropshire hills, and all of the Lake District National Park)
If youre not sure which region your trees or woodlands are located in, check the Area and Woodland Officer boundaries map.
If you already get other funding
If you already get funding from other agri-environment or woodland schemes, you can still take part in the THP scheme. The activities for the pilot must be different to the activities youre already getting funding for. You cannot get paid twice for the same work or activities.
Do not spend money on any pilot activities before you have signed a grant agreement. If you do the work before the agreement is signed, you will lose the opportunity to get a grant.
Grants for trees in and outside of woodlands
If you join the THP scheme, youll get a grant to help pay back some of the costs of carrying out work, for example, to remove and replace diseased trees. The scheme covers trees both in woodlands and outside of woodlands, depending on the grant you apply for.
The Forestry Commission may change, add or remove tree types or pests and diseases, grants or rates of payment, throughout the duration of the pilot. Your grant agreement will not be affected by changes the Forestry Commission makes to the pilot after youve signed it.
Grant requirements for trees in woodland
If youre applying for trees in a woodland, the group of trees youre applying for must:
- cover at least 0.5 hectares
- be at least 5 metres high, or will grow to this height
- have a crown cover of more than 20% of the ground area
Grant requirements for trees outside woodland
Trees outside of woodlands are any trees or small woods which cover an area of less than 0.5 hectares. For example, trees in hedgerows, along a road or in parks.
Grant funding
Your grant application must have a minimum funding value of 500. Use the payment tables under each tree type to work out how much you want to apply for.
Some grants cover up to a percentage of actual costs and others are based on standard costs. The payment tables will show you whether its one or the other.
Actual costs means the total amount it costs for you to carry out the work or buy goods and services.
Standard costs means a fixed rate which has been worked out based on the average market prices for buying or doing something.
For actual costs, you will need to provide the Forestry Commission with:
- photographic evidence of funded items and any activities
- evidence of incurred expenditure, for example, invoices and receipts
For standard costs you will only need to provide the Forestry Commission with photographic evidence of funded items and any activities. You will not need to provide evidence of incurred expenditure.
Economic assessments
To be eligible for Tree Health Pilot funding, your site(s) must be deemed uneconomical by the Forestry Commission.
If you have felling operations that generate income potential, the Forestry Commission will perform an economic assessment. The assessment will establish whether you can sell your timber and recover your felling costs.
If the assessment shows the cost of felling can be recovered from the sale of your timber, your site will be deemed economical. You will be advised your site(s) is ineligible for the pilot.
If the assessment shows the cost of felling cannot be recovered from the sale of your timber, your site will be deemed uneconomical. You will be invited to apply for conditional funding, if you meet all other pilot eligibility criteria.
If there is uncertainty over the economic status of your site(s) due to market fluctuations, you can apply for pilot funding. However, if your application is successful, the Forestry Commission will perform a full economic assessment on your site(s) when you claim. The outcome of the economic assessment will determine whether or not you receive funding.
When you claim, you will need to provide the Forestry Commission with:
- evidence of incurred expenditure to match your claim value
- details of income generated from the sale of your timber (including evidence of sale or justification for why your timber was not sold, if relevant)
The Forestry Commission will calculate your financial losses, funding up to the agreement value in your grant offer letter. If your income exceeds your expenditure (no financial loss is incurred) you will not receive pilot funding. You can read more information at Annex 2B in the Tree health pilot scheme: grant funding agreement terms and conditions.
Group grants for oak trees affected by oak processionary moth (OPM)
This grant supports a facilitator bringing together a group of people, to better understand the risks and hazards of oak processionary moth on their trees in the Established Area (see the map of the Established Area within London and the South East).
The facilitator will get financial support and advice to create a group OPM management plan. The plan will set out site-specific actions for individual group members and also area-based actions for the whole group.
If you would like to request a copy of the OPM management plan, email: