2017 Study

Regeneration: Renewal and Creation

Meeting 2

Tuesday 20th June 2017 Visit to Cranborne Estate

(By kind permission of Viscount Cranborne and the Marquess of Salisbury)

Theme for the day: ‘Woodland Creation and cost-effective restocking’

Invited guest speaker: Dr. Mark Broadmeadow, Climate Change Manager, FC England

ARRANGEMENTS

Meet at 10am for a 10.30 start.

Rendezvous: Forestry Yard, Ashes Farm, Cranborne, BH21 5RS.

Coming into Cranborne on the B3078 bear right at the Fire Station then immediately left. Follow the road up the hill (past the school) for ½ mile then turn right (do not take the next immediate right). Follow the road for ½ mile, the forestry yard is on the right.All stops will be accessed on foot (there will be lots of walking) and you will need to bring a packed lunch with you in a rucksack or suitable bag.

WessexSilvicultural

Group

Secretary

Ian Briscoe

Forestry Commission

Buller’s Hill

Kennford

Exeter

EX6 7XR

Tel. 0300 067 5844

Mob. 07831 732239

ian.briscoe@forestry.gov.uk

Chairman

Gary Kerr

Forest Research Farnham Surrey

GU10 4LH

Tel. 0300 067 5665

gary.kerr@forestry.gsi.gov.uk

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SUMMARY

In 2011 the Cranborne Estate undertook a Woodland Creation project. The scheme involved planting 56 hectares of mixed arable and pasture with 43.3 hectares of Douglas fir dominated mixed conifer woodland, 6.3 hectares of oak dominated native broadleaved woodland, and 6.4 hectares of open ground. In total 118,000 trees were planted over two planting seasons. An attractive planting grant, Carbon payment, and the ability to retain basic Payment Scheme payments, delivered a discounted income stream which over the long-term was higher than the alternative land use (Farming) and attractive enough to counter balance the short-term loss in capital value.

A new opportunity has arisen for a further afforestation project on the Estate. A scoping exercise funded by the Woodland Creation Planning Grant has been undertaken to assess feasibility.

Following storm damage caused in winter 2013/14 restocking has been undertaken without grant aid. Here we have been experimenting with planting arrangements which we hope will produce quality trees at low cost, utilising natural regeneration, of mostly birch, as an ‘educator’ where available.

Our guest speaker will be Dr. Mark Broadmeadow, Climate Change Manager, FC England, who will cover the policy background and scheme design with regard to current and former afforestation schemes, including the Woodland Carbon Fund which is aimed at encouraging new planting to meet government planting targets of 11 million trees by 2020.

1. WOODLAND CREATION PROJECT 2011/12

The aim of the woodland creation project:

Primarily, to increase the area of coniferous woodland on the Estate and in particular the area dominated by Douglas fir.

To create larger woodland blocks, particularly in the central part of the Estate, where the existing woodland is highly fragmented.

As a supplementary objective, to increase the area of oak dominated woodland where the site type is less suitable for conifers.

Deliver an income stream which over the long-term is higher than that which would be achieved by the alternative land use (Farming)

Total area – 56ha (planted over two planting seasons 11/12 and 12/13)

Area by species/type – 43.3ha Conifer, 6.3ha Broadleaf, 6.4ha Open ground.

Total trees planted – 108’000 conifer and 10’000 broadleafThe overall species composition at the time of planting was as follows:

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Douglas Fir59%Red Cedar

13%

Norway Spruce & Silver Fir5%

Open Ground & Groups of MB11%

Oak9%

Ash2%

Other Bleaves & Yew1%

Open Ground

The setting of the new planting in the centre of the Estate showing the creation of more cohesive woodland blocks is given below and a map of the southern part dating from 1605 below that:

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The planting was done in house using contract labour and our own planting machine:

Some of this area is shown on the 1605 Norden Map of Cranborne as having the name ‘Haywood’ in the field-name and it is likely that this area was converted to farmland in the middle of the medieval period.

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The decision to convert farmland to largely coniferous forest here has resulted from the following favourable characteristics which have in turn delivered competitive land- based revenue streams and enhanced funding from carbon payments and grant aid:

A particular combination of site with high potential for productive conifer and relatively low productivity as farmland.

A particular situation where other environmentally beneficial woodland activity, heathland restoration, with no extra net costs, has provided eligibility for additional planting grant.

The project is associated with well-developed overall forest management policy based on Continuous Cover principles and supported by UKWAS Certification.

The arrangement that allows Single/ Basic Farm Payment to continue to be paid on farmland subject to existing entitlements where it is afforested under an approved Forestry Commission Scheme.

The amount of saleable sequestered carbon over a 75 year contract period was 26,600 tonnes of carbon equivalent, having allowed a generous buffer for measurement inaccuracies and project risk. It also assumed that the stands will be transformed in due course into a permanently irregular structure; the avoidance of clear-felling had the effect of substantially increasing the amount of saleable sequestration, and hence the payment. The project was registered with the Woodland Carbon Code and carbon sold through Forest Carbon.

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Haywood/ Crendell Woodland Creation Project 11/12 & 12/13: Projected Discounted Income & Expenditure

(DR=3.5%)

Foregone Agricultural Income (based on rent of £125/ha)Total Establishment CostsTimber Production (Net)Farm Woodland PaymentPlanting Grant: SupplementsPlanting Grant: StandardCarbon Payments

Income Expenditure

The net benefit was considered attractive enough to counter-balance the short-term loss of capital value. In the medium to long term a change of land use of this scale to productive woodland is unlikely to reduce the overall value of the estate.

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2. WOODLAND CREATION SCOPING EXERCISE 2017

A potential afforestation opportunity has arisen due to the possibility of a tenant surrendering his holding. The feasibility of such a scheme with regard to a potential land-use change for the Estate and with regard to potential financial incentives has been addressed through the production of a Woodland Creation Design Plan funded by the Woodland Creation Planning Grant Scheme. The Contents of this Plan are as follows:

CRANBORNE ESTATE SOUTH WOODLAND CREATION PROJECT

WOODLAND CREATION DESIGN PLAN

Contents

1. Project Overview Plans 1a & b: Project Area Plans

2. Site Appraisal2.1 Site-Type Plans 2a & b: Site Types Plans2.2 Designations Plans 3a & b: Designations Plans2.3 Landscape Plans 4a & b: Landscape Appraisal Plans2.4 Other Historic Features2.5 Other Aspects

3. Evaluation 4. Design Concept & Planting Proposal Plans 5a & b: Design Concept Plans

Plans 6a & b: Planting Proposal Plans

5. Future Management

Appendix 1: ESC Output Sheets

Appendix 2a: Landscape Appraisal Photographs –Jordan’s Hill & Vellaker

Appendix 2b: Landscape Appraisal Photographs –Blackwater

Appendix 3: Consultation Correspondence

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Species Potential for Timber Production and Carbon Sequestration

YC Prediction using ESC4 by site-type/ individual ESC Calculation Sheet:

Block ESC Sheet

No

DF NS RC RSQ CAT SBI POK CAR JNI

BW 1 23 21 20 24 9

BW 3 18 16

BW/JH/V 4 26 22 21 24 10 8 11

BW/JH/V 5 22 22 20 24 9 8 10

JH 6 21 19 7 9

JH 7 20 21 8 10

JH/V 8 25 18 16 24 10

JH 9 17 (16) (6) (8)

JH/V 10 10

BW/JH/V 11 26 22 21 24 10 8 11

JH/V 12 25 18 16 24 10

Design Concept

The Design seeks to match the most productive suitable species to the site whilst seeking to blend the landscape effect of the plantings with the adjacent woodland and the major associated short-views, and in addition to take into account:

the SSSI/ SACs which are adjacent to parts of the Project Area the occurrence of existing broadleaved wooded features the presence of historic features the existence of one significant external long-view the impact of the planting on the Crane View property and curtilage.

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Planting Proposal

Area (ha)

Total Planting Scheme Area 70.3

Open Ground 12.1

Net Planting Area 58.2

Conifer dominated 48.4

Broadleaved Dominated 9.8

Species Breakdown

Planting Type Species % of numbers at planting

Area

ha %

1 (DF/RC/RSQ/SBI)

Douglas fir 60

39.1 67.2western red cedar 20

coast redwood 10

silver birch 10

2 (NS/RC)Norway spruce 60

7.6 13.1western red cedar 40

3 (RC/CAT)western red cedar 60

1.7 2.9Atlas cedar 40

4 (OK/JNI/MB)

pedunculate oak 40

4.9 8.4black walnut 40

mixed broadleaves 20

5 (OK/CAR)pedunculate oak 60

4.9 8.4common alder 40

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Financial Aspects

Total Rental Tipping Points for 3 Options (at 3% DR)

Optimal Conifer/ Current Carbon Sequ Calculation

Total Tipping Pt Rent 1:DF/RC/RSQ/BI 2: NS/RC & 3: RC/CAT

4: OK/JNI/MB

5: OK/CAR

Grant Scheme £/ha £/ac 67.2% 16.0% 8.4% 8.4%

CS 373 151 276 59 20 18

WCF 170 69 138 26 3 2

Optimal Conifer/ 66% of Current Carbon Sequ Calculation

Total Tipping Pt Rent

1:DF/RC/RSQ/BI

2: NS/RC & 3: RC/CAT

4: OK/JNI/MB

5: OK/CAR

Grant Scheme £/ha £/ac

67.2% 16.0% 8.4% 8.4%CS 342 138 252 55 18 17

WCF 141 57 118 22 1 0

25% less Conifer/ 66% of Current Carbon Sequ Calculation

Total Tipping Pt Rent

1:DF/RC/RSQ/BI

2: NS/RC & 3: RC/CAT

4: OK/JNI/MB

5: OK/CAR

Grant Scheme £/ha £/ac

47.20% 13.9% 33.4% 8.4%CS 312 126 177 48 70 17

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Rental Tipping Points for particular Planting Type under Option 1: Optimal Conifer/ Current Carbon Sequestration Calculation

Planting Type Grant Scheme £/ha £/ac

1: DF/RC/RSQ/BI CS 410 166

2: NS/RC & 3: RC/CAT CS 370 150

4: OK/JNI/MB CS 240 97

5: OK/CAR CS 220 89

1: DF/RC/RSQ/BI WCF 205 83

2: NS/RC & 3: RC/CAT WCF 165 67

4: OK/JNI/MB WCF 40 165: OK/CAR WCF 25 10

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3. COST EFFECTIVE RESTOCKING FOLLOWING STORM DAMAGE WINTER 2013/14

Total area winblown was 14.9 ha (mostly NS following thinning in 2013) of which PAWS 13.4 ha. The smallest area replanted was 0.3 ha and the largest area 3.35 ha.

All restocking was carried-out without grant aid.

90%

3%7%

Species Windblown 2013/14

NSDFCP

39%

22%

40%

Restocking 2016/17 Post Windblow

DF 70%:RC 20%:RSQ 10%POK 80%: OBL 20%POK/OBL 50%:NS/RC/SP 50%

Ground Prep

The brash was raked into rows along the old extraction routes. This was very efficient as the harvester had already deposited most of the brash here (cost <£200/ha).

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Restocking designs

Pure conifer

Line planted between brash racks at 3250/ha.

Pure Broadleaf

Group planting: 7 trees per group, 2m between trees, and 12m between group centres (only used if natural regeneration between groups is ensured). Produces 70 groups or 490 stems/ha.

Mixtures

Either using group method (as above for hardwoods) with conifer clustered at close spacing between hardwood groups.

Or line mixture planting either side of alternate brash racks - Conifer 4 rows either side of brash rack at 3250/ha, then broadleaves 2 rows either side of brash rack at 1600/ha (brash racks left at 4m wide).

We will only send full details of meetings to paid-up members. If you wish to receive these or attend meetings this year please send your £15 membership to Ian Briscoe at the address above as soon as possible. Cheques made payable to ‘Wessex Silvicultural Group’. Corporate membership is currently £120. Invoices will be sent separately for those Organisations holding this membership.

Please find enclosed my £15 Wessex Silvicultural Group Membership for 2015

Name..............................................................................................................

Please send future meeting notes by email to

............................................................................................…………………………

I do not have email. Please post meeting notes to me at the address below:

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Payment may also be paid by BACS.

Bank details: Lloyds TSB

Branch: 64 Fore Street, Trowbridge, Wilts, BA14 8EU

Sort Code: 30-98-75

Account No: 00332302

Please confirm BACS payments to ian.briscoe@forestry.gsi.gov.uk

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