Managing a woodland

Sustainable forest management highlights best practice for managing woodlands.

This describes the management and use of forests and forest lands in a way, and at a rate, that:

• maintains their biodiversity

• establishes a plan for productivity

• considers the health of the forests and woodlands

• considers the capacity of forests and woodlands to regenerate

• considers their potential to fulfil relevant function, whether

  • ecological

  • economic

  • social

• does not cause damage to other ecosystems

Scotland's forestry policies and practices follow global standards for sustainable forest management. These are set out in the Forestry and Land Management (Scotland) Act 2018.

Forestry and Land Management (Scotland) Act 2018 (Legislation.gov.uk)

Our approval of felling applications, shows that felling has been carried out legally and within the principles of sustainable forestry management.

Sustainable forest management promotes forest growth while meeting various goals. These contribute to many benefits over the long-term, whether:

• environmental
• social
• economic

Woodland owners or managers should carry out their work according to UKFS best practice, to help manage forests sustainably.

This applies to not just the trees in a woodland, but also opens areas and water bodies, such as burns, lakes and ponds.

Manage a woodland by figuring out long-term aims and being adaptable. This aids in the woodland being able to adapt to changing scenerios. These might be around:

• increasing resilience to pests and diseases

• challenges due to climate change

We have different templates that can be used to put together a forest plan. These allow the long-term objectives of a woodland to be assessed against the technical standard set out in the UKFS.

Once approved, these plans can contain the required permissions over the life of the plan, for example with:

• felling

• restocking

They also provide the basis for funding through our forestry grant scheme. This can financially assist the management, protection and evolution of a woodland.