Countryside Stewardship Financial Incentives

UK Government’s Countryside Stewardship (CS) is a scheme which provides financial incentives for farmers, woodland owners, foresters and land managers to look after and improve the environment.

The updated Woodland Creation and Maintenance grant opens on 9 February 2021.

Woodland support grants

The updated Woodland Creation and Maintenance grant opens on 9 February 2021. The payment rates for the grants have not changed, but the application process for the maintenance element of this grant is different.

If you want to create new woodland through Countryside Stewardship you can apply for this grant from 9 February 2021.

About the scheme

The aim of the scheme is look after and improve the environment by:

• conserving and restoring wildlife habitats
• flood risk management
• woodland creation and management
• reducing widespread water pollution from agriculture
• keeping the character of the countryside
• preserving historical features in the landscape
• encouraging educational access

The scheme is:

• open to all eligible farmers, woodland owners, foresters and other land managers
• suitable for many types of land use, for example conventional and organic farmland, coastal areas, uplands and woodlands
• competitive
• scored against local priority targets to maximise environmental benefit

For more information see https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/countryside-stewardship