First EWGS application approved

[APC]

Just had my first EWGS application approved, just waiting on contracts to arrive through the post. I won't be happy until they're in my hand. Only sent it off about 5 months ago! My FC officer has been pucka though, he's been down and given us a few ideas that fit in with our plan nicely, just been held up by LA's as part of the woodland falls within a Conservation Area.

 

Fingers crossed they'll be here before end of the week. Got bare trees to do before them birdies start nesting, spring is most definitely thinking about an early start this year!

[Paul Smith]

You can get money for deer management.

[john k]

Just had my first EWGS application approved, just waiting on contracts to arrive through the post. I won't be happy until they're in my hand.

Fingers crossed!

 

Is it a Woodland Management grant? What sort of woodland do you have?

[APC]

You can get money for deer management.

 

Yup we certainly do. We were even offered high chairs but turned them not really appropriate (they won't last five minutes).

 

We couldn't get WMG just yet as we need to be assured as we exceed an acreage requirement. We are an LA and other LA woodlands have been certified and have approved plans in place, we are just waiting on them getting round to us. If that makes sense.

[APC]

Zing! All official now. Approved and licensed! Just need to find the time now!

[corylus]

Just going through similar (actually on a WIGS, Woodland Improvement Grant Scheme which is part of the EWGS).

Have done a few before and they seem to work well. Just remember to claim for the follow up stuff after year 1!)

But to my point, if you look in FC ops note 9, Standard Costs, there is no money available for flora/fauna surveying, which surprised me. Is it up to you as the grantee to provide this, or dont they expect you to do it?

Was it specced in? I would be interested to know!

[APC]

Just going through similar (actually on a WIGS, Woodland Improvement Grant Scheme which is part of the EWGS).

Have done a few before and they seem to work well. Just remember to claim for the follow up stuff after year 1!)

But to my point, if you look in FC ops note 9, Standard Costs, there is no money available for flora/fauna surveying, which surprised me. Is it up to you as the grantee to provide this, or dont they expect you to do it?

Was it specced in? I would be interested to know!

 

 

Closest we get to having to surveys stuff is fixed point photography. Other part is to fence off a few hazel stools within the woodland so that they can't be browsed, to use as controls. Again, photographs suffice.

[corylus]

Not having a dig at you, but how are you (me) meant to know if the trees we are felling have the biggest colony of the rarest bats in residence? Obviously we would make efforts to find out, but surely if were getting money for felling something, it should also be provided for finding out if we will be causing a problem/breaking the law if we do.

This is not a plea or more funding etc, but a genuine concern at what I see as a serious incongruity in EWGS

Please tell me I'm wrong!

[APC]

Not having a dig at you, but how are you (me) meant to know if the trees we are felling have the biggest colony of the rarest bats in residence? Obviously we would make efforts to find out, but surely if were getting money for felling something, it should also be provided for finding out if we will be causing a problem/breaking the law if we do.

This is not a plea or more funding etc, but a genuine concern at what I see as a serious incongruity in EWGS

Please tell me I'm wrong!

 

Yeah I hear where you're coming from. EWGS and your licences don't cover you for disturbances to bats, roosts and shelters. You need to get that separately through Natural England. I must admit that part wasn't carried out by me so I'm unaware of how involved it is. We regularly have an ecological consultancy carrying out bat surveys in our woods who feed back to my manager. We have a bunch of trees tagged throughout the woodland, mainly mature oaks but there is also a large, rotten birch somewhere if I remember rightly.

 

Your responsibilities fall under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, which says damage, disturbance to roosts or harms to bats is an offence. This was updated by CRoW Act to include reckless behaviour. Further on from this is Habitat Regs which doesn't care whether you intended to cause damage or not; it will punish you either way.

 

FC guy reckoned that our plan was very low impact as only touched small, half hectare sized coups a year. One of our aims was to improve habitat for bats as well as to encourage dormice to pop over from neighbouring land.

[corylus]

Our wood hasnt had any 'official' fauna or flora survey done. Might just get on to the EWGS man and get him to comment.