Annex H
Standard for Sustainable Farm Woodland Management
Farm woodlands make an important contribution to the character, biodiversity and amenity of the landscape. They also provide an opportunity to diversify economic benefit to farm businesses. These farm woodlands have often been under-managed. We recognise that an appropriate level of management is required to sustain the benefits of such woods, and endorse this in the Scottish Forestry Strategy and in A Forward Strategy for Scottish Agriculture.
The UK Forestry Standard sets a benchmark for sustainable management, which applies to all woods and forests. The standard for Sustainable Farm Woodland Management ( SFWM) helps farm woodlands meet the UK Forestry Standard requirements. It also helps those interested in independent woodland certification under the UK Woodland Assurance Scheme to gain benefits such as the sale of certified timber.
Our scheme requirements of the standard for Sustainable Farm Woodland Management are:
- Your management is in line with the objectives and work set out in the Farm Woodland Plan ( FWP). This includes regular checks, reviews and remedial action;
- You have adequate protection measures in place so that domestic stock and wild animals do not significantly damage the trees within woods, including damage to the ongoing development of natural regeneration in native woodland. An exception is where managed grazing is both necessary and approved to achieve specific biodiversity objectives identified in the FWP;
- You must not allow any non-native vegetation, within the canopy or shrub layers of native woodland, to pose a significant threat to the condition of the native woodland;
- Your operations in and around woods do not have a significant adverse impact on identified habitats and species of national or regional importance and on identified features of cultural importance;
- Your management of woods, which are identified as important for the character of the landscape, maintains the landscape significance of the woods;
- You manage public access through woods in line with the Scottish Outdoor Access Code;
- Occupiers keep woods free of inappropriate materials and waste, which is within their control and, that would adversely impact on the natural environment or the sense of place.