Scottish Forestry Grant Scheme - SFGS
Following publication of the Scottish Executive’s Scottish Forestry Strategy 'Forests for Scotland' the opportunity was taken to review the Woodland Grant Scheme and the Farm Woodland Premium Scheme and give them a greater Scottish focus.
The resulting scheme - the Scottish Forestry Grants Scheme (SFGS) - encouraged the creation and management of woods and forests to provide economic, environmental and social benefits.
Grants were available under three main areas:
- Grants for woodland expansion - creating new woodlands.
- Restocking grants, for replanting following felling.
- Stewardship grants, for a range of activities in existing woodlands.
Applications for SFGS grants started in June 2003 and closed in August 2006.
Most grants for SFGS were based on a percentage of Standard Costs of agreed operations. The Standard Cost took account of the costs of labour, plants, machinery, materials and supervision to do work to the specification as set out in the SFGS Standard Costs and Specifications Booklet.
Depending upon the level of public benefit, grant payments were either at 60% or 90% of the Standard Cost. In the case of restocking, Standard Costs were mostly pitched at 75% of the new planting Standard Costs.
Grants were available for planting proposals that met one or more of the following objectives:
- Establishing well-designed productive woodland.
- Expanding areas of native woodland, preferably through natural
regeneration and the development of Forest Habitat Networks.
- Improving riparian habitat.
- Improving the quality and setting of urban or post-industrial areas.
- Improving the diversity of the farmed and crofting landscape.
Details of all eligible operations are set out within the 'Applicants Booklet' available from Conservancy Offices.
*********************SFGS OBJECTIVES*************************
The abbreviations below list the SFGS objectives proposals are designed to meet:
Establishment grants
P1 to establish well-designed productive forest
P2 to expand the area of native woodland
P3 to improve a riparian habitat
P4 to improve the quality and setting of urban or post-industrial areas
P5 to improve the diversity of the farmed/crofting landscape
Stewardship Grants
S1 to improve timber quality
S2 to reduce deer numbers
S3 to improve the ecological value of native woodlands
S4 to improve woodland biodiversity
S5 to enhance landscape value
S6 to develop alternative systems to clear-felling
S7 to develop woodland recreation
S8 to develop community involvement
Restocking grants
R1 to produce well designed productive forest
R2 to restore areas of native woodland
R3 to improve riparian habitat
R4 to improve the quality and setting of urban or post-industrial areas
R5 to improve the diversity of the farmed/crofting landscape
Felling
F1 Clear felling
F2 Selective felling
F3 Continuous Cover
F4 Thinning
Other land
OL is not grant aided
************************** SPATIAL DATA **********************************
There are four spatial datasets associated with SFGS. These represent the scheme boundaries, management plan boundaries, sub-compartment boundaries and deer fence lines within each approved SFGS scheme.
Each SFGS spatial dataset is accompanied by a specific non-spatial database table. The datasets can be related to each other on a 'many to one' basis. This reflects the fact that many SFGS operations may occur within one spatial geography (eg.a sub-compartment).
The 'SFGS Sub-Compartments' spatial dataset can be 'related' to the 'SFGS Link Sub-Compartment Operations' table using the 'SC_Link' attribute field.
SFGS Sub-Compartments - Spatial Attributes :-
Attributes:
SchemeNo SFGS Scheme number
ComptNo Compartment number
SubCompt Sub compartment letter
SCLink Concatenated field used to relate spatial data to table
Descriptor Description of spatial feature
SchemeName Name of SFGS Scheme
ConsName Conservancy
ContStart Date contract started
GridRef National grid reference
Local_Auth Local Authority
Status Scheme status
SFGS Link Sub-Compartment Operations - Database Table Attributes :-
Atributes:
SCLink Concatenated field used to relate table to spatial data
SchemeType Type of scheme (SFGS, Forest Plan, etc)
GrantType Grant type code
Descriptor Description of grant type
ClaimNo Claim number
InstNo Instalment number for planting
Quantity Length, number or area of operation
Unit Unit of operation (eg. metres, visits, hectares)
PctCost Percentage of total cost paid under SFGS
PayRate Payment rate per unit (£)
Grant _Paid Amount of grant paid (£)
PayInFY Financial year in which payment should be made
Species Tree species
PYear Planting year
Areaha Area in hectares
StockDens Stocking density of planting
ObjCode SFGS Objective code (see above for full descriptions)