What the action involves
This action’s aim is to bring woodlands into sustainable management in line with the UK Forestry Standard.
The purpose is to deliver benefits for net zero and woodland biodiversity.
What you must do
Your Forestry Commission woodland officer will assess your land. They’ll work with you to adapt and agree the activities you must do to achieve this action’s aim. All mandatory activities will be set out in your agreement document.
To get paid for this action, you must:
- create or manage appropriate levels of open space, 1-zone access rides or a combination of both (a 1-zone ride is a linear open space with a central grass zone)
- create or maintain appropriate levels of deadwood habitat in line with the UK Forestry Standard
- submit a Woodland Condition Assessment in years 1 and 9 of your agreement
- submit monitoring reports in years 5 and 9 of your agreement
- carry out operational site assessments prior to any work taking place
The advice you’re given from the Forestry Commission is specific to your land which means (where relevant) you may also need to remove or control:
- invasive non-native plant and animal species
- some native deer species (as agreed with your Forestry Commission woodland officer)
When to do it
You must do this action each year of its duration.
Evidence to keep
You must keep evidence to show what you have done to complete this action. If it’s not clear that you have done this action in a way that could reasonably be expected to achieve its aim, the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) may ask for this evidence. You must supply the evidence if they ask for it.
Where you can do it
You can do this action on established woodlands that:
- are more than 15 years old – this may include areas of young trees, for example, re-stocked areas
- are at least 0.5ha in size
- have an average width of at least 20 metres (m)
You can only do this action if you have a woodland management plan agreed with the Forestry Commission.
Eligible land
You can do this action on land that’s:
- an eligible land type
- registered with an eligible land cover on your digital maps
- declared with a land use code which is compatible with the eligible land cover
Available area
Total or part of the available area in the land parcel.
Rotational or static
This action is static. This means you must do it on the same location each year of the action’s duration.
Consents and permissions
To apply for this action, you’ll need:
- a Forestry Commission approved woodland management plan
- Scheduled Monument Consent from Historic England for any work on scheduled monuments
- consent from Natural England for any activity on land designated as a site of special scientific interest (SSSI)
You may need to:
- get advice from your Forestry Commission woodland officer if you have other archaeological or historic features on your agreement land
- apply for a felling licence from the Forestry Commission to carry out some activities in this action
- get a wildlife licence from Natural England if your activities affect a protected species or their habitat
All archaeological and historic features (including scheduled monuments) are identified in your Historic Environment Farm Environment Record (HEFER).
If you’re a tenant, it’s your responsibility to check whether your tenancy agreement allows you to complete what’s required in the actions you choose. You may need your landlord’s consent.
Capital grants that support it
If you need to complete an implementation plan or a feasibility study before you apply, you can apply for capital grants plans funding.
You can also apply for capital items to help you achieve the action’s aims. Your Forestry Commission woodland officer will discuss eligible capital items with you.
