My project proposal to plant woodland at Monea has been approved by the Northern Ireland authorities! The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) operates a grant scheme for tree planting. I submitted a proposal to plant trees on around two-thirds of my farm at Monea, Co. Fermanagh through a consultant, Crookedstone Conservation, in Co. Antrim. It took a while but the development has been approved and will go ahead in early 2023. DAERA will provide 100% of the costs for planting a mixed broadleaf woodland plantation under their Forest Expansion Scheme and an annual premium for the first ten years to make up for the loss of BPS payments or rental. I will plant a mix of ten species, planted in blocks, with 20% clear space between the blocks. I’m also investigating whether it makes sense to sell carbon credits under the UK Woodland Carbon Code. One of the aims of the FES is to increase access to woodland so I intend to provide public access to the site. If anyone has any questions about the plans, just get in touch: [email protected].