Guidance

WS3.8 Survey summary report guide

Updated 24 June 2025

Applies to England

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

This guide accompanies Management requirements for Woodland Supplement WS3 (squirrel control).

Introduction

The ‘WS3.7 Survey summary report template’ is a compulsory element of WS3.

This report template relates to the surveys agreed with the woodland officer/deer officer under the WS3 agreement and must be provided to the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) at years 1 and 5 and then in year 3 upon request.

The survey summary report should be submitted after the end of April, and before the end of the year. You should send these with your impact and activity surveys, cull data and revenue claim form. Read more about how to submit your data.

The report template summarises results derived from the survey data forms completed in the field. The data forms themselves are not required for this report but should be retained for the grant period. 

The following guidance explains what you need to do for each section of the report template.

1. Background information

This section identifies the Holding Name, SBI number, Date, and the person undertaking the survey.   

2. Squirrel impact and activity survey – results and comments

A survey may take place over an entire holding, or in individual woodlands or compartments within that holding. The number and location of surveys will be agreed with your woodland officer/deer officer.

Each row represents an individual survey, add rows if required. Enter damage and activity average results derived from the bottom of your impact/activity record sheets. 

Comments should be made on any impacts to the main objectives of the woodland area as stated in the Woodland Management Plan.

Comments should be made on grey squirrel activity, including intensity of activity whether general or localised or resulting from woodland management such as thinning.

If there have been repeat surveys an indication of trend may be possible.

3. Survey routes

Each row represents a different survey, add rows if required. The route can be traced using an electronic tracking device or mobile phone or simply drawn onto a map.

For this report, a clear simple screen grab or low resolution .jpeg of the route should be placed in the appropriate column on the table and clearly labelled with the woodland name. 

4. Photographs taken during the survey

For each row, the first column should contain a single photo taken at one location. Enter the description of the photographs in the second column.

Use a new row if more than one photo is taken at the same location.

Photos should resize automatically when dragged or pasted into the table, if not, select the photo and reduce it to around 3cm on its shortest side.

The number of photographs will vary but might most often include fresh signs of damage or activity.

If the report file becomes too big to send via email, compress the picture files or save and send as a .pdf document.

How to submit your report and further information

Read the guidance Management requirements for woodland supplement WS3 (squirrel control) for more information about what else you need to do for supplement WS3 and how to submit your data.

Learn more about the eligibility and requirements for WS3: Squirrel control and management.