In 2002, the Forestry Commission developed a new visitor monitoring system to provide more accurate estimates of the number of visits to FC woodland, whilst continuing to gather information regarding the profile of visitors to the whole of the Commission estate. Visitors were surveyed and counted at all types of woodland, rather than concentrating on our main sites. The All Forests Monitoring system has been adopted in Wales and Scotland, with surveying starting in 2004.
Scotland
Some of the key results are highlighted in a ministerial News Release issued in April 2008.
The motivations behind this Forestry Commission Scotland survey are outlined in a News Release issued at the outset of the survey in 2004.
Final report
The results of all three years of fieldwork are presented together in a final report.
The Scotland All Forests survey covered five Forest Districts in each round, to give complete coverage by the end of 3 years in 2007 1. Interim reports were produced after each year of surveying.
Year 1
The first round of surveying, from June 2004 to May 2005, covered Buchan, Galloway, Lochaber, Scottish Borders and West Argyll.
Scotland 2004-05 - report published January 2006.
An addendum to this report explains why and how revisions have been made to the estimated annual number of visits to Glentress in the Scottish Borders.
Year 2
The second round of surveying, from June 2005 to May 2006, covered Dornoch, Lorne, Moray, Scottish Lowlands and Tay.
Scotland 2005-06 - report published December 2006.
Year 3
The third round of surveying, from July 2006 to June 2007, covered the remaining five Forest Districts - Ae, Cowal & Trossachs, Fort Augustus, Inverness and Kincardine.
Scotland 2006-07 - report published April 2008.
1 There were 15 Forest Districts when this survey commenced in June 2004. Since then Kincardine and Buchan have merged to form Aberdeenshire Forest District.
Wales
The survey covered all four Forest Districts in Wales, over the period January 2004 to January 2005.
Wales 2004 - report published August 2005.
