Guidance

Management Requirements for Woodland Supplement WS1 – Deer Control and Management: operations note 59

Updated 13 March 2023

Applies to England

• Publication for Northern Ireland
• Publication for Scotland
• Publication for Wales

1. Purpose

This operations note is to be used to determine the appropriate works within Woodland Supplement WS1 – Deer Control and Management. WS1 is only eligible to be used in conjunction (on the same area) with Countryside Stewardship (CS) Woodland Improvement Option WD2 and will be used to support the increased use of lethal control of deer. Effective use of supplement will increase resilience within the woodland, support and help protect biodiversity and structure of the site. Wider environmental benefits are likely to occur beyond the site boundary because of this option.

2. What you need to do

Guidance for each step of the process is provided for each of the mandatory requirements which are:

Demonstrable increases or maintenance of acceptable levels of deer culling from the start of your Countryside Stewardship Agreement.

Draft Deer Management Plan (DMP) should be submitted with your application to the Rural Payments Agency (RPA), and will be agreed with the Woodland Officer (WO) and Deer Officer (DO) at the time of application and active from the start of year 1. Use the Deer Management Plan Guide, WS1 Deer Management Plan Guide available on Operations Note 59 page of GOV.UK and Deer Management Plan template WS1 Deer Management Plan template is available on Operations Note 59 page of GOV.UK .

A reviewed DMP agreed with the WO and DO by the end of year 1.

Carry out agreed levels of culling activity (as agreed with Deer Officer/Woodland Officer in your Deer Management Plan.

Collection and submission of cull data annually to the Forestry Commission inclusive of a detailed record of deer culled, and time spent culling (effort), submitted usually at the end of April every year and additionally at the end of December in the final year. Use the Deer Cull Data Template, WS1 Deer Cull Data template is available on Operations Note 59 page of GOV.UK for this action.

A habitat impact activity survey is required. Results are recorded in a deer habitat activity record and summarised to the Forestry Commission usually at the end of April but before the end of years 1, 3 and 5 using a survey report template, WS1 Deer Survey Report template is available on Operations Note 59 page of GOV.UK and the survey report guide WS1 Deer Survey Report guide is available on Operations Note 59 page of GOV.UK . Use the Deer Habitat Impact Activity Record, WS1 Deer Habitat Impact Activity Record is available on Operations Note 59 page of GOV.UK and the Deer Habitat Impact Activity Guide, WS1 Deer Habitat Impact Activity Guide is available on Operations Note 59 page of GOV.UK for this action.

Deer exclosures will be erected prior to the spring growing period in year 1. Recording of changes in vegetation growth (through survey and photographs) will use the Deer Exclosure Guide, WS1 Deer Exclosure Guide is available on Operations Note 59 page of GOV.UK and Exclosure Record Form, WS1 Exclosure Record Form is available on Operations Note 59 page of GOV.UK. Reporting will occur before the usually at the end of April but before the end of years 1, 3 and 5 using the same Deer Survey Report Template that contains the habitat impact activity survey results. The number and approximate location of the exclosures will be by agreement with the Woodland/Deer Officer. These will be available as separate capital items, as in FG11, but with three additional designs available, as agreed with the Woodland/Deer Officer.

The cull data and survey report need to be submitted to your local Forestry Commission area using email addresses:

• South West: SW.mammalmanagement@forestrycommission.gov.uk
• North West & West Midlands: NWWM.mammalmanagement@forestrycommission.gov.uk
• East & East Midlands: EEM.mammalmanagement@forestrycommission.gov.uk
• South East & London: SEL.mammalmanagement@forestrycommission.gov.uk
• Yorkshire and North East: YNE.mammalmanagement@forestrycommission.gov.uk

These mailboxes are for submissions of your review documents and plans only. Please read the guidance below on how to title your email for submission.

2.1 Applicant Supporting Information

Annual training and awareness days will be available in all FC areas to provide support with deer management plan writing and the completion of monitoring requirements. Your local Forestry Commission office will have details.

Applicant supporting information:

• annual training and awareness days will be available in all FC areas to provide support with deer management plan writing and the completion of monitoring requirements. Your local Forestry Commission office will have details

3. How to submit your review documents

When you are ready to submit the cull data and survey report, or any other WS3 review document requested of you, you must title your email accordingly:

Your application’s SBI number, your application’s CRM number and Estate name (name of Woodland), the name of the Document you are submitting and which review year this document is relevant to (if submitting a document at year 2 of the five, it would be titled YR2).

For an example your email title would look like this:

• 123456789 CRM-1234567-A8A9A0 Woods Estate Cull data YR2

This title template must be used to submit your information.

Using the relevant mailbox, which is determined by your local Forestry Commission area, your document will be recorded, and a recipient email will be sent back to you confirming that it has been received. It is important to submit your documents to the right Forestry Commission area team.

Only email addresses of applicants/agents with authority are allowed to send in these documents.

4. Sources of further advice

• best Practice Guidance on Deer Management can be found in the comprehensive suite of guides on The Deer Initiative website
• further guidance on deer management can be found on GOV.UK
• Forestry Commission Deer Officers can be contacted through your local Forestry Commission office
• the Countryside Stewardship pages of GOV.UK contain all the information you need to apply for grant support. Alternatively, you can request this information from your local Forestry Commission office