Multi-functional forestry and landscape enhancement on the Swinton Estate
The Swinton Estate in North Yorkshire is creating a sustainable business model to increase woodland coverage by 350ha. This includes selling carbon credits alongside additional ecosystem services like flood mitigation and offering local businesses the opportunity to sponsor woodland areas. The project aims to generate income through carbon offsetting and sponsorship, with the potential for replication by other landowners.
This project is one of 24 case studies published in 2024, alongside a report evaluating the process, impact and value for money of NEIRF Rounds 1 and 2.
Access full case studyNEIRF funding will support the development of an ambitious and replicable new business model for multi-functional forestry, which balances environmental and commercial outcomes. The business model will encompass revenue from forestry, including timber, and will monetise wider benefits from carbon sequestration, biodiversity credits, recreation, and water quality.
Swinton Estate’s aim is to increase woodland cover by 350 ha over the next 20 years, siting, designing, and managing woodland to optimise environmental and commercial outcomes. The project will demonstrate that planting and management for conservation can be integrated with commercial interest, to generate income on a par, or exceeding, what could be achieved from the sale of timber alone.
Revenue will be generated from both commercial streams and from the sale of new ecosystem services delivered by woodland, including carbon, biodiversity units, water management and recreation.
NEIRF funding will enable baseline biodiversity and water catchment assessments to be undertaken at potential planting sites, allowing the Estate to audit and value woodland ecosystem services. It will also enable consultation with potential local beneficiaries through the creation of a Focus Group, to determine the best way to market those services. By January 2022, physical flow accounts for the delivery of ecosystem services from proposed woodland sites will have been produced. A valuation of these ecosystem services, informed by beneficiary feedback, will have been produced by March 2022. By June, a business case for similar models to be replicated nationwide will have been produced.
Project Aim
The project is working to demonstrate that planting woodland for timber and planting to deliver environmental benefits does not need to be an ‘either/or’ scenario.
Funding model
The model will generate revenue through the sale of ecosystem services and commercial timber production. NEIRF funding will facilitate the auditing of ecosystem services and assess their revenue generating potential for:
- Carbon
- Biodiversity
- Water Management
- Recreation
A focus Group of local businesses and organisations has been formed to collate data about the perceived value of ecosystem services and how they might be best marketed. The group’s feedback will help the Estate to determine what local businesses understand about ecosystem services, what type of ecosystem service would be of most interest to them and what the revenue generating potential of the services could be. [There is no requirement for those within the Focus Group to invest in ecosystem services following the end of the NEIRF project].
Potential revenue generating potential will also be determined through the production of a monetary flow account.
Future Investment Potential
Protection from and mitigation of environmental hazards: The increase in flood events both regionally and on the Estate has been a significant financial burden and a major disruption for local businesses. Woodland planting sites will provide natural flood management services.
Thriving plants and wildlife: As well as creating new habitats, new planting that extends and connects existing woodlands can help to improve the biodiversity value of those existing habitats and encourage species to spread into new territories.
Mitigation of and adaption to climate change: carbon sequestration from woodland planting is a key driver for this project. The project supports net zero goals and the 25 Year Plan by delivering an increase in woodland cover and carbon sequestration. The proposed change to a continuous cover forestry (CCF) system on the Estate will also support adaptation to climate change.
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