Get Involved

The UK Woodland Assurance Standard is managed by a multi-stakeholder partnership. Membership is open to organisations representing stakeholder groups and associate membership is open directly to stakeholders. All stakeholders are invited to contribute to the five-yearly revision process.

Partnership is central to the UKWAS spirit. Our standards are developed on a consensus basis through an inclusive multi-stakeholder process: the launch of the standard in 1999 was a landmark event for forestry in the UK that cemented a strong and enduring partnership between the organisations and individuals involved.

Associate Members

Join us

Full membership of UKWAS is open to organisations representing any part of the full spectrum of interests of the UK’s forestry, environmental and social communities including those who work in woodlands or use them for recreation.

To find out more about becoming a member of UKWAS please contact the UKWAS Support Unit.

An important group of stakeholders does not meet the criteria for full membership. Therefore, an Associate Member category was established in 2007 to extend the inclusive nature of the UKWAS partnership; it is open to stakeholders such as commercial enterprises (e.g. forest management companies, wood-processing companies, certification bodies, retailers and traders), societies and woodland initiatives.

Help us develop standards

UKWAS review working group

The UKWAS standard is reviewed and, if necessary, revised every five years by means of a three-year revision process.

The beginning of a review process was announced on 1st July 2020.

Member organisations’ steering group representatives manage the review and revision process and have prepared a detailed plan and timetable. Following a call for volunteers, an independent working group of standard-users and stakeholders has been appointed to take forward the review. The working group is chamber-balanced to ensure that economic, environmental and social considerations are taken fully into account and it will be supported by a pool of technical experts.

The initial review phase concluded that a full revision was necessary. The revision phase is underway with the objective of a new UKWAS 5 version of the standard being in effect from 1st April 2023.

Further details on process and consultation opportunities are available on our Revision pages.

UKWAS review stakeholder Forum

In addition, all standard-users and stakeholders are invited to participate in the revision by joining a Stakeholder Forum. Forum members will be kept up to date on progress and receive news on public consultation opportunities. There are three formal opportunities for stakeholders to make their input but the working group might also invite input on specific issues as they arise.

To join the Stakeholder Forum, please contact ukwas@ukwas.org.uk. Please include a few lines on your relevant interests so that we can better understand the composition of the Stakeholder Forum.

Other task groups

From time to time the steering group sets up a task group to consider a particular topic in detail and those with relevant expertise are welcome to participate.