Benefits to landowners

A zero investment and cash neutral opportunity to use land for the benefit of the environment

Opportunity for additional income through timber harvesting, thinnings and end crop

An opportunity to offset own farming carbon or methane emissions

A natural way to improve soils, including carbon sequestration in forest soils

Timber

The timber market in the UK currently relies on 80% imported material¹. This shows that there is a large discrepancy between demand and local supply – around £8.3bn per annum². Tree planting for timber can ensure a continuous income cycle and create an attractive risk vs return relationship.

Carbon Mitigation Option

Tree planting is considered the quickest and most effective way to take CO₂ out of the atmosphere and tackle the climate crisis. FCF also offers the opportunity to landowners to purchase and sell their own carbon credits, instead of receiving a corporate investment. It is estimated that a woodland in England will capture 450 tonnes of CO₂ over 100 years per hectare³.

Tax

Forestry can be particularly attractive to provide a tax-free investment. Income and profits from timber sales in commercially managed woodlands are free from income tax.
A commercial woodland has no inheritance tax liability after two years of ownership and the value of timber is entirely free from capital gains tax in both the physical growth of the trees and any rise in timber prices.

Environmental and Ecological Benefits

Trees provide an array of benefits, from habitat creation and increased biodiversity, to privacy and improving landscape character. Native woodland also creates shelter for game, birds, and wildlife.
Worth over £430m a year⁴, insect pollination is vital to successful arable farming. Trees naturally attract a range of pollinators and provide shelter, nesting and feeding areas.

Why commit land for trees – things to consider

What are your motives for considering woodland planting (financial/emotional/environmental/other)?

Are there other uses for the land that may be more beneficial and better support your motives?

How is the land is currently used, and what are the benefits of this compared to woodland?

Are there any existing land designations, and what would be the impact of tree planting on these?

What type of woodland do you want to plant (timber, carbon, biodiversity)?

What is the size of the area of land available for planting?