Forestry Commission
If you are writing a woodland management plan with grant funding then you need to have your grant agreement in place before you start work on your plan.
A woodland management plan gives land managers a structured way to plan and organise the sustainable management of woodland to a common industry standard.
The UK Forestry Standard sets out the UK governments approach to sustainable forestry and woodland management, including standards and requirements, regulations and monitoring, and reporting. It applies to all woodland and woodland operations, regardless of who owns or manages it.
Why create a management plan?
- Creating a woodland management plan can demonstrate sustainable forest management and it supports the planning and implementation of work proposals and their long term monitoring.
- Some grant schemes ask land managers to have an approved management plan in place prior to making an application.
- The plan of operations which makes up part of the management plan means it is possible for land managers to plan for and be issued with a felling licence for up to 10 years of felling.
If you want to create a woodland plan, you should include all woodland on your property.
How to produce your plan
For woodland holdings over 3ha, you can develop a plan using the Forestry Commissions full Woodland Plan template, the Plan of Operations template, and your own maps. A grant is available to help fund the production of a woodland plan (Countryside Stewardship option PA3), where the full Forestry Commission template is used.
Use the template for woodland of an area less than 10 hectares - this is to apply for a felling licence, but is not eligible for funding to prepare a woodland management plan through Countryside Stewardship.
For non-FC woodland plan templates that dont match the Forestry Commissions woodland plan template in structure or composition, use this that states the UKFS criteria being assessed and provides a consistent framework for the Forestry Commission to review the plan. Non-FC woodland plan templates are not eligible for funding to prepare a woodland management plan through Countryside Stewardship.
Download and complete the (for any size of woodland) using information about the woodland, its history, its previous management, structure and composition, risks and issues and how they will be addressed, and the proposed work you intend to undertake.
Download and complete the inventory and plan of operations. It sets out your woodland inventory and must relate directly to compartments and sub compartments shown on your map(s). The Plan of Operations also gathers information relating to felling and restocking and is necessary for issuing a felling licence. Use this , which highlights where data entry errors exist on the worksheets so you can make corrections. Alternatively, you can use the it enables you to enter data more freely, but it has no error checking and we may have to return it to you for corrections.
Produce a map theyre an excellent way to communicate information to support your management plan. Use several maps to show a variety of topics or themes affecting your woodland. You must ensure that each compartment you show on the map is reflected in the Inventory of the Plan of Operations. You can create a map by:
- submitting a map request to the Forestry Commission
- using myForest service
- using your own Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
You can use our guidance on . This guidance will help you complete a woodland management plan successfully, using the FC plan template, the Inventory and Plan of Operations worksheet and your associated maps. Read this guidance thoroughly and refer to it regularly.
If you are drafting your plan with the intention of applying for a Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier, please refer to this to help you understand what should be included to ensure you are covering all relevant information in your plan. Your WMP must support and validate your CS Higher Tier application.
Submit your draft woodland management plan to the administrative hub covering your area. Make sure you include:
- a completed woodland management plan template
- an inventory and plan of operations
- a map
- a if youre receiving funding from the Countryside Stewardship scheme
Administrative hub contact details
Contact the administrative hub, which covers your area, for more information.
Check if your woodland is designated or has special features
Designated areas or features should be indicated on one of the annotated maps within your plan. If a designation applies, please provide details.
Magic Map
Use Natural Englands MAGIC map to check if your woodland is designated, for example, as an SSSI. You can also search for other features such as scheduled monuments, priority habitats and species and information such as Countryside Stewardship scheme details in your area.
The Land Information Search
The Forestry Commissions Land Information Search (LIS) is another map-based tool that allows you to search for information about land designations or features that might already apply to your woodland. Examples of these features include:
- previous felling schemes
- grant schemes
Find out how the Forestry Commission then supports you if you do