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 (UKFS) 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 up to 3 hectares, you should use the small woodland plan template:
For woodland between 3 and 10 hectares, you can use either the small woodland plan template or the full woodland management plan template.
A grant is available to help fund the production of a woodland management plan for woodland over 3 hectares. Read more about the Countryside Stewardship option PA3.
If you wish to apply for the grant, you must use the full woodland management plan template:
If you do not intend to apply for the grant, you may use the small woodland plan template for woodlands up to 10 hectares. This will still enable you to apply for a felling licence.
For woodland over 10 hectares, you should use the full woodland management plan template.
Woodland management plan applications must include:
- the plan of operations template
- your own maps
- information about the woodland including its history, previous management, structure and composition, risks and issues and how they will be addressed
- the work you intend to do
For non-Forestry Commission woodland plan templates that dont match our woodland plan template, use this that states the UKFS criteria being assessed and provides a consistent framework for us to review the plan. Non-Forestry Commission woodland plan templates are not eligible for funding to prepare a woodland management plan through Countryside Stewardship.
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
- 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 Forestry Commission 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 (CS) Higher Tier, please refer to this