CWS5: Improve woodland resilience supplement
Source: gov.uk (2025-09-10)

What you must do to get paid for this CSHT action and advice on how to do it.

This action is part of Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT). You must read the CSHT guidance (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/countryside-stewardship-higher-tier-csht) before you apply.

Duration

10 years

How much you’ll be paid

£202 per hectare (ha) per year

Action’s aim

The aim of this supplemental action is to increase the mixture of tree species and structural diversity in woodlands through changes to management activities.

The purpose is to make woodlands more resilient to current and future threats arising from climate change such as:
- increased risk from pest and disease
- prolonged dry weather and strong winds
Where you can do this action

You can only use this supplemental action in combination with Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier base action CWD2: Woodland improvement action (https://www.gov.uk/find-funding-for-land-or-farms/cwd2-woodland-improvement).

You can do this supplemental action on established woodlands that are identified in your woodland management plan.

You can only do this action if you have a woodland management plan agreed with Forestry Commission.

Your Forestry Commission woodland officer adviser will agree with you what other supplemental actions may be needed to meet the intended environmental outcomes. This could include:
- CES6: Maintain features for wildfire management (fire belts) supplement
- CSP2: Rewetting supplement
- CSP3: Bracken control supplement
- CSP6: Cattle grazing supplement (non-moorland)
- CSP7: Introduction of cattle grazing on the Isles of Scilly supplement
- CSP9: Support for threatened species
- CUP18: Manage features for wildfire management (fire and fuel breaks) supplement
You cannot do this supplemental action on the same land as:
- CSW8: Manage and restore plantations on ancient woodland sites (PAWS)
- CSW2: Manage native woodland including ancient and semi-natural woodland
Eligible land

Same as base action.

Available area you can enter into this action

Same or less than the base action.

Rotational or static action

Same as base action.

What to do

Your Forestry Commission woodland officer will assess your land. They’ll work with you to adapt and agree the activities you must do to achieve this action’s aim. All mandatory activities will be set out in your agreement document.

To get paid for this action, you must restructure your woodlands to increase the species and structural diversity through management of your woodland.

The advice you’re given from the Forestry Commission is specific to your land which means (where relevant) you may also need to:
- implement continuous cover forestry principles
- carry out thinning
- undertake regeneration felling and conventional felling
- manage all restocked and regenerated areas to make sure trees establish successfully
When to do it

You must do this action each year of its duration.

Evidence to keep

You must keep evidence to show what you have done to complete this action. If it’s not clear that you have done this action in a way that could reasonably be expected to achieve its aim, the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) may ask for this evidence. You must supply the evidence if they ask for it.

Consents, permissions and licensing requirements

To apply for this action, you’ll need:
- a Forestry Commission approved woodland management plan (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/create-a-woodland-management-plan)
- Scheduled Monument Consent (https://historicengland.org.uk/advice/planning/consents/smc/) from Historic England for any work on scheduled monuments
- consent from Natural England for any activity on land designated as a site of special scientific interest (SSSI) (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/protected-areas-sites-of-special-scientific-interest#get-consent-to-carry-out-operations-on-your-land)
You may need to:
- get advice from your Forestry Commission woodland officer if you have other archaeological or historic features on your agreement land
- apply for a felling licence (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/tree-felling-licence-when-you-need-to-apply) from the Forestry Commission to carry out some activities in this action
- get a wildlife licence (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/wildlife-licences) from Natural England if your activities affect a protected species or their habitat
All archaeological and historic features (including scheduled monuments) are identified in your Historic Environment Farm Environment Record (HEFER).

If you’re a tenant, it’s your responsibility to check whether your tenancy agreement allows you to complete what’s required in the actions you choose. You may need your landlord’s consent.

Capital grants to support this action

If you need to complete an implementation plan or a feasibility study before you apply, you can apply for capital grants plans funding (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/capital-items-guidance-for-applicants-and-agreement-holders#capital-grants-plans).

You can also apply for capital items (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/capital-items-guidance-for-applicants-and-agreement-holders) to help you achieve the action’s aims. Your Forestry Commission woodland officer will discuss eligible capital items with you.

Advice to help you do this action

The following optional advice may help you to do this action. Your agreement document will set out all the activities you must do.

Managing woodland

You will agree with your Forestry Commission woodland officer what management activities you will carry out using this supplement.

You may be required to restock your woodland after felling using tree species that:

are more suited to the future climate of your area

increase genetic diversity to improve disease or pest control

You can use the Ecological Site Classification (ESC) tool (https://www.forestresearch.gov.uk/tools-and-resources/fthr/ecological-site-classification) to identify vegetation communities native to your site and select species suitable for predicted climate change.

Read the Forestry Commission’s guidance booklet on ‘Managing Continuous Cover Forests’ (https://www.forestresearch.gov.uk/publications/managing-continuous-cover-forests/) for more information on managing woodland for biodiversity and resilience.

For more information about managing woodlands through continuous cover forestry read research on continuous cover silviculture (https://www.forestresearch.gov.uk/research/continuous-cover-silviculture/).