funding rhododendron control

[Charlieh]

which is the most viable option for funding this work?

 

NE HLS special project on ASNW or EWGS WIG for biodiversity?

 

i have the option of putting a site into one or the other schemes as both will be present on the land and wondered if people have used either scheme, i am aware the NE funding would be what they consider 100% and FC would be 80% contributions but i have a feeling FC's 80% is higher than NE's 100% funding, it certainly is for thinning ops

 

any help much appreciated, also what do rhodie logs burn like?

[Buzz]

You'll get 100% on HLS mate. Go for that.

[Charlieh]

cheers, i wasnt sure as the HLS for some management options is rubbish, The HLS advisor was keen to put it in to get the points up on the scheme anyway so she will be pleased,

[Buzz]

Has NE got an interest in the site already Charlie ? NNR, LNR, SSSI etc ?

[Charlieh]

Has NE got an interest in the site already Charlie ? NNR, LNR, SSSI etc ?

 

Nope basically the site was going to be bought by woodland trust and their funding fell through so the farmer who owns it has asked me to get as much sorted on the site as possible, so if you know anyone that whats to buy 100 acres to plant broadleaves on get in touch, as he only wants it going into woodland

 

NE have no interest in the site, and FC have funded stuff in the past, but the landowner has let things laps and hasnt made any claims since it was FWPS so i dont know if he will be able to claim the last 5yrs worth of funding he has missed out on,

 

I am putting an all whistles and bells management plan together currently, and he is putting some of the areas of archeological interest into HLS which is more or less NEs envolvment stops, but the advisor had picked up on the rhodies in the ASNW areas, they are pretty sever and it will be hand clearing i suspect due to access and not wanting to scrub up the ground to much with a mulcher,

 

if it was a NNR i would be laughing, rolling round in the money

[Buzz]

LOL is the farmer paying you to prepare the managment plan ? You should be able to get that lumped into HLS application.

 

It definatly sounds as if HLS is your best bet.

[Charlieh]

LOL is the farmer paying you to prepare the managment plan ? You should be able to get that lumped into HLS application.

 

It definatly sounds as if HLS is your best bet.

 

The mgmt plan is for FC WIGs grant as there is an area of PAWS thats going to be cleared and also there will be about 10 acres of planting do in the next year or two, i am getting the money for preparing the mgmt plan (beer money! ) and i will be picking up quite a bit of the other work as well, including hopefully the rhodie clearance, as its only about 3/4s mile from where i live, so it would be handy to fill in odd days on,

[Mr Ed]

You need more than Beer money for preparing the management plan mate. Thats pretty serious business, and it needs to be good for HLS.

[Charlieh]

Im not preparing a HLS application else i would be taking all the money for doing it, but on this site NE are doing that in house (which is a new one on me)

 

Im just preparing the woodland mgmt plan which if your doing it well and spending the time on it, the funding doesnt really cover it that well, especially when the site is very diverse, the beer money comment was supposed to be a bit tongue in cheek. I have just finished getting the site maps into the GIS which has taken about 3hrs, i have had a day on site and i recon i need another day and a half out doing surveys, and then 1/2day with the landowner, then another day on site with someone from FC,

 

my only concearn now is if FC and NE start getting awkward about the projects overlapping in area not costs, as they are getting pretty tight on this kind of thing which can be a right pita,

 

im looking forward to doing it as it certainly has a huge range of potential if we put everything into the scheme for woodland management and then an improvement grant as well, this will be the first ful one i have done where as in the past i have just given advice on the wildlife side of things

[Darren]

 

any help much appreciated, also what do rhodie logs burn like?

 

It's a good firewood burns hot, be careful I heard it re-roots easily.