BWW Management Planners

 

All grant aid under the Better Woodlands for Wales scheme is based upon work agreed in a management plan prepared by a management planner on behalf of a woodland owner.

Management planners are responsible for advising you about the requirements and benefits of the BWW scheme and relating these to your woodland objectives. They also submit a BWW application on your behalf using our grant and licences online system. The preparation of a management plan requires specialist skills and experience of forestry and woodland management. Management planners who possess these skills can be found on our list of approved management planners. All management planners must abide by our Code of Practice.

The management plan preparation grant contributes towards the cost of employing a management planner and can also contribute towards costs which may be incurred if the services of a specialist assessor are required. Specialist assessors are experts capable of carrying out the type of specialist assessment work required, for example, a woodland ecology assessment. The management planner and FCW will decide together whether specialist assessors will need to be appointed during preparation of the management plan. Like management planners, specialist assessors have to be approved by ourselves and abide by our Code of Practice. You do not have to apply for the management plan preparation grant yourself your management planner will do this as part of your BWW application.

If you wish to make a BWW application you will need to appoint a management planner from our approved list.

Knowledge and skills required
Management planners must be able to demonstrate a wide range of skills including the ability to:

• Recognise key tree species, their silvicultural qualities and requirements.
• Compartmentalise and map woodland, and to plan, cost and manage the main types of forestry operations.
• Understand forestry marketing issues.
• Recognise habitats, plant and animal species associated with woodland and to be aware of UKFS and Forestry Guidelines and regulations.
• Work with our methodology for assessing woodland.
• Be able to work with IT systems to create, submit and manage all aspects preparing a management plan online.
• Communicate and write effectively.
• Understand Welsh forestry policy and the relationship to BWW grant aid.
• Understand the laws and regulations relating to trees, especially felling licences and Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations.

Code of Practice
All management planners and specialist assessors must follow the FCW Code of Practice that outlines the principles and conduct that they must follow when they carry out work within the Better Woodlands for Wales scheme.

How to become a management planner
If you want to apply to become a management planner please see the forms and booklets section below for further guidance. Please send completed forms to: Alison Evans, Forestry Commission Wales, North Wales Area Office, Clawdd Newydd, Ruthin, Denbighshire, LL15 2NL or e-mail alison.evans@forestry.gsi.gov.uk

If you are successful and accepted as a FCW approved management planner then you will need to enter into a contract with us for a period of three years. This contract covers the preparation of all management plans submitted to the FCW within that period. Contracts between management planners and woodland owners relate to the preparation of a single management plan per application. A new contract must be signed for each new management plan that an owner may apply for.



Management Planners and Specialist Assessors

PDF versions of forms
GL10 - Roles & responsibilities for management planners and specialist assessors (Adobe Acrobat™ PDF - 47k)
GL11 - The selection process for management planners and specialist assessors (Adobe Acrobat™ PDF - 29k)

Map Request Forms
BWW Map request form - Hard Copy (Adobe Acrobat™ PDF - 61k)
BWW Map request form - Hard Copy (MS Word™ document - 900k)

BWW Digital Map Request Form (Adobe Acrobat™ PDF - 61k)
BWW Digital Map Request Form (MS Word™ document - 900k)

Application Forms
A1 Overview Application Form For MP & SA Roles (Adobe Acrobat™) - Updated 10 June 2008  160KB)

A2 MP and SA General Application Form & Evidence Portfolio (MSWord™ doc - 443k) - Updated 29 October 2007
A3 Management Planner Role Application Form (MSWord™ PDF - 309k) - Updated 4 February 2008