Farming Diary by Laura Mealin, farm conservation officer, the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority:

WHEN I first heard the ambitious targets for tree planting nationally last year, my first reaction was: “Where will they all go?”

This was followed by: “Where are the funds coming from?”

Putting the right tree in the right place has complexities and people who provide the land need to be rewarded.

Not everyone has been eligible for some of the existing woodland creation schemes but, hopefully, help is here. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ new England Woodland Creation Offer went live on June 9 for applications.

Applications can be as small as one hectare and be made up of smaller blocks if meeting the criteria. It differs to the Woodland Creation and Maintenance Grant through enhanced payments for capital items such as fencing, streamlined maintenance payments and more options for infrastructure.

It also differs by offering payments for ‘additional contributions’. Extra payments are made if the location and design of the new woodland provide access, nature recovery, water quality improvements, or flood risk mitigation close to settlements. These can be stacked rather than choosing one over another.

Woodland Creation and Maintenance Grant applications still pending may be able to convert to the new scheme. If interested, speak to a woodland officer before July 9.

Later this month we will be launching our Woodland Opportunities Map. The aim is to provide a tool for identifying potentially suitable sites for woodland creation. As with all these maps and models, it in no way replaces local knowledge, and schemes will still undergo a full consultation process.

Please contact the Trees and Woodlands Team at the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority if you are considering woodland creation and would like some informal advice. Some organisations are providing advice and grants separately from the national schemes. These include the Woodland Trust, Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust and your local Rivers Trust.

Hopefully we can find the balance of creating beautiful woodlands for all whilst rewarding those who provide and maintain them.