Farmers in the central belt of Scotland are being offered free Farm Woodland Assessments to help them decide if planting trees may add value to their businesses.

The scheme, now in its eighth cycle, provides those within the catchment area a detailed outline of what species would work best, in what role and in what location, with no obligation for the farmer to implement the proposals.

The aim of the assessment is to support farmers by giving them the opportunity to integrate fresh woodland onto their land to serve a multitude of purposes. These include gaining benefits such as shelter and shade for livestock, maximising the usage of less productive land, carbon off/in-setting, wood fuel, biodiversity, water management and long-term investment in harvestable timber.

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Landowners within the Central Scotland Green Network (CSGN) can get up to £2500p/ha in funding for planting under the Forestry Grant Scheme.

The report also provides an outline of cost and highlights any potential constraints that may arise. Interested parties have until December 20 to apply and the reports will be conducted in 2025.

Will Chadwick, woodland creation officer for Central Scotland, stated that since the schemes’ introduction they have conducted over 100 assessments, resulting in 650/ha of new woodland being established.

Speaking on the process involved Mr Chadwick stated: “We send a forestry agent to assess the entire landholding for woodland creation opportunities, considering any constraints.

“They map everything out, draw up a budget, and provide a detailed report. This gives farmers all the information they need to decide whether they want to proceed with woodland creation on their land.”

The project is a part of the larger CSGN explained Mr Chadwick, with the overall aim being to restore and transform the landscape while contributing to economic development.

He continued: “With funding in place, farmers don’t incur any costs for the assessment. If they decide to move forward, they will have an idea of any associated costs, and they may be able to offset these by doing some work, like fencing, themselves.

“The forestry agent works with the farmer to understand their objectives and find the best woodland approach, depending on their needs. The flexibility in the Forestry Grant Scheme allows for a wide range of options.”

Mr Chadwick, who grew up on a farm in Wiltshire, acknowledged the reluctancy of some farmers to explore tree planting options but highlighted those signing up to the scheme offered flexibility.

He said: “There’s some uncertainty at the moment, but there’s no rush. Once a farmer gets the assessment, they have time to think it over and decide whether to move forward. There's no obligation, and they can choose whichever agent they want for the actual work.”

Next years assessments will be conducted by forestry agents from Fountains Forestry.