Forestry Grant Information

Almost all woodlands in Northern Ireland are planted with some form of grant assistance. The Forest Service encourages the creation of new woodlands and the management of existing woodlands by providing grant aid towards the cost of the work through the following schemes:

An establishment grant available for new planting on a minimum of 0.2 hectares.

A supplement to the WGS establishment grant which aids the creation of new woodland that is accessible to the public.

Encourages the creation of new woodlands on farms through annual payments which help offset the loss of earnings resulting from taking the land out of agriculture. Payments are made over a period of 10 or 15 years.  

Available to those who agree to undertake agreed forest environment actions to improve ecosystems and prevent damage by domestic and wild animals in private forests.

A one-off capital payment available to secure significant environmental benefits through the enhancement of biodiversity.

Aids the re-establishment of woodland cover in existing woodland through planting or natural regeneration.

Supports the planting of SRC crops for renewable energy purposes. The minimum grant aided area is 3 ha. Applications must be received by the 30th January each year for planting in the following spring. Applicants must also be able to show they can use the crop themselves for energy production or that they have an arrangement with someone else to use their crop.

You can find further information on the rates and conditions of all these schemes in the Forestry Grant Schemes Information booklet. Applicants must also be able to show they can use the crop themselves for energy production or that they have an arrangement with someone else to use their crop for energy production.