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Woodland Creation application guidance

This revised guidance, first published in July 2026, outlines principles and process you should follow when considering woodland creation.

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Introduction

This guidance document and the woodland creation application process was originally developed and published in 2018 following the James Mackinnon CBE report commissioned by Scottish Government in 2016: ‘Analysis of Current Arrangements for the Consideration and Approval of Forestry Planting Proposals.’

Forestry planting proposals: Mackinnon report (Scot.gov)

This revised guidance, first published in July 2026, reflects refinements that have been introduced to the process since then.

The most significant changes to the process that are detailed in this updated guidance relate to stakeholder engagement, and embed the principles set out in the Land Rights and Responsibilities Statement 2022.

Scottish Land Rights and Responsibilities Statement 2022 (Scot.gov)

Should I follow this guidance?

All woodland creation proposals in Scotland should follow this guidance if any of the following circumstances apply:

if the applicant intends to apply for Scottish Government grant support to create a new woodland either by planting or natural regeneration
if the proposal is an afforestation project which needs to be screened in accordance with the Forestry (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Scotland) Regulations 2017
where the applicant are seeking Scottish Forestry approval for a woodland compensatory planting proposal required as a condition of a planning permission

The process of preparing a woodland creation proposal demands a comprehensive plan to deliver woodland creation through sustainable forest management. This brings together:

management objectives
silvicultural prescriptions
environmental, economic, and local community views

If you are farmer, landowner, or forestry agent looking to create any new woodland in Scotland you should follow this guidance.

If you are interested in influencing a woodland creation proposal that is in development, this guidance will help you understand the process and how you can get involved.

The output from this process will normally be:

a record of the community engagement process and issues taken into account following that engagement in developing the final design
a UK Forestry Standard assessment
an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) screening opinion (if required by EIA regulations )
an approved planting design that can be implemented or used for an application for grant funding

What is a woodland creation proposal?

A woodland creation proposal is an effective management tool that:

sets out your objectives
takes account of site constraints, opportunities and stakeholder views
identifies measures against potential impacts
provides information for an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) screening opinion (if required)
takes account of any grant requirements you may wish to apply for

The detail you provide in the output should be in line with the scale, complexity and sensitivity of the proposed woodland site.

A woodland creation proposal should provide an understanding of the broader context within which the woodland creation is envisaged and describe the balance of objectives for sustainable forest management including:

economic (e.g. timber production)
environmental (e.g. biodiversity)
social objectives (e.g. recreation provision)

It translates the strategic and management objectives into a detailed design with the required site operations via a site level assessment and analysis.

This guidance is applicable whether you are proposing woodland creation by planting or natural regeneration.

Demonstrably, following this guidance can speed up the application process by:

providing clear evidence of what has been considered
explaining to interested parties why proposals have been developed in the way they have

Woodland Creation application guidance

Contents

Introduction

Should I follow this guidance?

What is a woodland creation proposal?

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