What are Forest Design Plans?
Forest Design Plans are produced by the Forestry Commission, to set out the management
proposals for the next thirty years for the woodlands we look after. They aim to fulfil a number of objectives:
- Provide descriptions of the woods as they are now,
- Show the process the Forestry Commission goes through when deciding what is best for the woods’ in the long term,
- Show how the woods should develop over the thirty years
- Show tree felling and re-establishment in detail for 10 years and in outline for the succeeding 20
The planning process provides an opportunity for you to get involved in the development
of a wood’s plan where you have an interest in the wood.
Our aim is to produce a plan that meets the needs of those using the wood. Meets the needs of wildlife of the area and the needs of the Forestry Commission as managers of a multipurpose sustainable resource. Often there are compromises to be made but we hope that these are explained within the plan.
A plan does not set out to detail the management operations of each area of a wood or exactly when the work will take place. More detailed site plans are prepared for each management operation as they come up. The plan is a strategic document with broad-brush proposals within it. They may well be changed at the time when the work is considered in more detail. After all we cannot plan for natural changes in a wood, such as wind damage or the discovery of an important species that must be protected or a product that is in demand at the time of felling. So any felling proposed within a plan is likely to be subject to minor changes during the life of the plan. Major changes that require a plan to be re-written would be put back to consultation before being approved to go ahead.
Approval of a Forest Design Plan:
A separate part of the Forestry Commission not responsible for managing the countries woodlands or putting together the plans is required to check a plan meets all the relevant standards and statutes and undertake consultations on behalf of the Government before approving the works. To obtain comment from individuals and organisations we publish the plans as PDF documents on our website allowing anyone to view them if they follow the link above to ‘Forest Design Plans Awaiting Approval’.
If you want to comment on any of those that are being considered at the moment please address your feedback to the officer responsible for approving the plans.
You can of course talk to the local Forestry Commission manager responsible for the wood if you want clarification as to the proposed works and how it will affect the wood. You can find out who this is by ringing 01420 23666.
Please remember the plans are stategic and therefore looking at a more global scale of working. Comments relating to a specific footpath, gateway or anything about problems experienced with contractors and so on should not be feed back as part of the Forest Plan approval process, but instead would have to be addressed directly to the manager for the wood itself.
Approved Forest Design Plans:
So that at any time you can view the works planned in your local Forestry Commission wood we maintain a web page that details all the approved plans. Follow the link above ‘Approved Forest Design Plans’ to see if there is a plan for your local wood.
