NCF Sustainable Seed Sourcing Project

There is a government UK-wide manifesto commitment to increase tree planting across the UK to 30,000 hectares per year by 2025. To achieve this, the England Tree Planting Programme, supported by the Nature for Climate Fund (NCF), recognises that there is a need to enhance the quantity and diversity of supply of domestic tree planting material.

Since 2014 a series of activities have been commissioned by Woodland Trust and Future Trees Trust and delivered by Karen Russell Consulting. This work has produced a range of audits and reports culminating in written strategies to enhance seed supply for 24 species and detailed plans to achieve this for the following species that are native to (or naturalised in) the UK: Aspen, Black Walnut, Blackthorn (incomplete), Alder, Field maple, Hawthorn (incomplete), Hazel, Hornbeam, Wild Apple and Black Poplar. It has already identified 16 potential seed stands for small leaved lime and 15 stands for Hornbeam. As a key aim of the England Tree Planting Programme is to enhance the quantity, quality and diversity of UK sources of tree seed supply, further development of this work is a very effective means to better understand tree seed supply and scope priority activities for enhancing UK tree seed supply.

Defra need to work collaboratively with Woodland Trust to expand and develop further the species strategies that have already been developed and to test their technical and practical robustness with a wider range of stakeholders. A written report will be produced identifying strategies to enhance the seed supply of priority tree species. This will in turn be used to inform future projects (including planting of seed stands and orchards) in years 2 - 4 of the ETPP.

This is a notice of the awarding of the contract via a Single Tender Action to deliver the above requirement.