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Guidance

Ecological survey and assessment for woodland creation in England

Find out how to assess whether your site might be suitable for woodland creation by carrying out species and vegetation surveys.

Updates to this page

From:
Forestry Commission
Published:
22 December 2021
Last updated:
13 June 2024
Show all updates

  1. Fixed links, added description of a survey method for peat, Edited the pricing schedule in Annex 3, report templates are now available for 2 survey types, and an additional Annex has been created (10) containing the templates.

  2. This document was updated and renamed in October 2023 to reflect our experience from surveys carried out in 2021/2022 and in response to recent research and small changes to Forestry Commission incentives. Information has been clarified in relation to timing and data searches, and minor changes have been made to requirements for survey methods, mapping, reporting and assessment. The guidance has been endorsed by the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM).

  3. 'Natural environment survey and assessment instructions' updated.

  4. First published.

Applies to England

Documents

Ecological survey and assessment for woodland creation (England)

HTML

Ecological survey and assessment for woodland creation (England)

PDF, 453 KB, 36 pages

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

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If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email grnationalteam@forestrycommission.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Annexes: Ecological survey and assessment for woodland creation (England)

MS Word Document, 2.12 MB

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If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email grnationalteam@forestrycommission.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Annexes: Ecological survey and assessment for woodland creation (England)

PDF, 878 KB, 31 pages

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email grnationalteam@forestrycommission.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Details

You should use this guidance when the Forestry Commission tells you that ecological surveys (for example peat, habitat or breeding birds) are needed on or adjoining a proposed woodland creation site.

This guidance replaces all other Forestry Commission guidance on natural environment surveys.

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