CWD2 - Woodland Improvement Grant (Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier)

The CWD2 Woodland Improvement (Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier) grant supports woodland owners and managers who want to improve existing woods for biodiversity, resilience and wider public benefit. This is now a 10-year grant, replacing the old 5-year agreement.

This far wider-reaching and generous offer includes several new biodiversity improvements elements, such as bracken and Himalayan balsam control as examples. The other key point to note is the enhanced basic rates of £127/ha for baseline CWD2 (originally 100/ha) and CWS1 (Deer) now £105/ha (previously £90/ha) and CWS3 (squirrel) now £60/ha (previously £50/). This grant’s aim is to bring woodlands into sustainable management in line with the UK Forestry Standard and to deliver benefits for net zero and woodland biodiversity.

Other new and enhanced offers which will be of interest are:

• Manage and restore ancient woodland: £275 per hectare

• Manage native woodland and ancient semi natural woodland: £116 per hectare

• Improve woodland resilience: £202 per hectare

• Manage woodlands for flood and drought mitigation: £56 per hectare

• Woodland edges on arable land: £428 per hectare

• Management of wood pasture and parkland (lowland): £212 per hectare

• Restoration of wood pasture and parkland (lowland): £371 per hectare

• Creation of wood pasture: £544 per hectare

• Management of successional areas and scrub: £276 per hectare (previously £88/ha)

• Creation of successional areas and scrub: £514 per hectare (previously £149/ha)