3.1 General

3.1.1

Requirement

Woodland operations shall conform to forestry best practice guidance.

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Guidance Example verifiers

  • Field observation
  • Discussion with the owner/manager and workers
  • Monitoring and internal audit records.
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3.1.2

Requirement

The planning of woodland operations shall include:

  • Obtaining any relevant permission and giving any formal notification required
  • Assessing and taking into account on and off-site impacts
  • Taking measures to protect water resources and soils, and prevent disturbance of and damage to priority species, habitats, ecosystems and landscape values, including adapting standard prescriptions where required. Any disturbance or damage which does occur shall be mitigated and/or repaired, and steps shall be taken to avoid recurrence
  • Measures to maintain and, where appropriate, enhance the value of identified services and resources such as watersheds and fisheries.
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Guidance Example verifiers

Particular attention should be given to ensuring that:

  • Local people potentially affected are informed at the onset of operations
  • Workers are involved in the planning of operations at the implementation stage.

Checks should be made against relevant country-level plans for priority habitats and species.

  • Documented permissions
  • Contracts
  • Discussion with the owner/manager and workers
  • Demonstration of awareness of impacts and measures taken
  • Site-specific, documented assessment of impacts
  • Operational site assessments.
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3.1.3

Requirement

Operational plans shall be clearly communicated to all workers so that they understand and implement safety precautions, environmental protection plans, biosecurity protocols, emergency procedures, and prescriptions for the management of features of high conservation value.

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Guidance Example verifiers

Contracts can be in writing or workers may be given oral instructions where this is appropriate to the scale and sensitivity of the operation.

  • Discussion with workers
  • Records of pre-commencement meetings
  • Field observation
  • Biosecurity policy
  • Relevant plans and procedures.
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3.1.4

Requirement

Operations shall cease or relocate immediately where:

  • They damage sites or features of conservation value or of special cultural and historical significance identified in sections 4.1-4.5 and 4.8. Operations in the vicinity shall recommence only when action has been taken to repair damage and prevent any further damage, including establishing buffer areas where appropriate.
  • They reveal previously unknown sites or features which may be of conservation value or of special cultural and historical significance. Operations in the vicinity shall recommence only when the sites or features have been investigated and appropriate management agreed, where relevant in discussion with statutory bodies and/or local people.
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Guidance Example verifiers
  • Discussion with the owner/manager
  • Site diaries
  • Field observation.
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3.2 Harvest operations

3.2.1

Requirement

a) Timber and non-timber woodland products (NTWPs) shall be harvested efficiently and with minimum loss or damage to environmental values.

b) Timber harvesting shall particularly seek to avoid:

  • Damage to soil and water courses during felling, extraction and burning
  • Damage to standing trees, especially veteran trees, during felling, extraction and burning
  • Degrade in felled timber.
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Guidance Example verifiers

Thinning/cutting trees to waste may be appropriate in some circumstances.

  • Field observation
  • Discussion with the owner/manager.
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3.2.2

Requirement

Harvesting and sales documentation shall enable all timber and non-timber woodland products (NTWPs) that are to be supplied as certified to be traced back to the woodland of origin.

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Guidance Example verifiers

The purpose of this requirement is to ensure that certified products can be traced back to the point of sale from the woodland (in the case of timber, for example, standing, at roadside or delivered). The responsibility of the owner/manager is limited to ensuring that certified products removed from the woodland can be traced forward along the supply chain from the first point of supply.

Where certified products from other sources are being stored in the same area, appropriate records should be maintained to demonstrate the source and quantity of produce obtained from other woodland areas.

Advice to owners/managers

Certification schemes may require owners/managers to provide additional information on sales documentation relating to:

Certification schemes may also require documentation to be retained for a specific time.

Owners/managers are advised to seek guidance from their certification body or group scheme manager.

  • Harvesting output records
  • Contract documents
  • Sales documentation.
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3.2.3

Requirement

Whole tree harvesting or stump removal shall be practised only where there is demonstrable management benefit, and where a full consideration of impacts shows that there are not likely to be any significant negative effects.

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Guidance Example verifiers

Significant negative impacts to consider include:

  • Leaching
  • Soil compaction
  • Soil erosion
  • Soil carbon loss
  • Nutrient loss
  • Damage to historical features and archaeological deposits.

  • Discussion with the owner/manager demonstrates awareness that impacts have been considered
  • Documented appraisal.
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3.2.4

Requirement

Lop and top shall be burnt only where there is demonstrable management benefit, and where a full consideration of impacts shows that there are not likely to be any significant negative effects.

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Guidance Example verifiers

If lop and top is burned:

  • The location and density of fire sites should be carefully planned
  • Some lop and top should be left unburned as habitat except where it will result in pest or disease problems
  • The requirements of the relevant statutory environment protection agencies should be met.

The owner/manager should be aware that it may be necessary for burning on site to be registered as an exempt activity with the statutory environment protection agencies.

  • Discussion with the owner/manager demonstrates awareness that impacts have been considered
  • Evidence of registration of exempt activity
  • Documented appraisal.
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3.3 Forest roads and associated infrastructure

3.3.1

Requirement

All necessary consents shall be obtained for construction, extension and upgrades of:

  • Forest roads
  • Mineral extraction sites
  • Other infrastructure.
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Guidance Example verifiers

Consents may relate to planning, environmental impact assessment or construction regulations.

  • Records of consents
  • Environmental assessment where required.
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3.3.2

Requirement

Roads and timber extraction tracks, visitor access infrastructure and associated drainage shall be designed, created, used and maintained in a manner that minimises their environmental impact.

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Guidance Example verifiers

Where new roads are planned, a documented evaluation should be made to achieve a balance between timber extraction distances and road density, which takes into account the impact on the environment. Non-timber activities also need to be taken into account, e.g. access for sporting.

Particular attention should be paid to:

  • Avoiding features of historic environment, biological, geological or cultural value
  • Use of bridges, arches or culverts to cross water courses
  • Barriers to fish movement caused by water crossing points
  • Ensuring that verges and ditches are created and managed to promote their habitat value
  • Materials used, especially rock type, are in keeping with the ecology of the woodland
  • Avoiding erosion and adverse impacts on water systems and wildlife habitats
  • Careful landscaping of roads, both internally and externally
  • Use of brash mats.

  • Documented plans for the design and creation of permanent roads and tracks
  • Control systems for the creation and use of temporary tracks and extraction routes
  • Field observation
  • Documented maintenance plans.
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3.4 Pesticides, biological control agents and fertilisers

3.4.1

Requirement

a) The use of pesticides and fertilisers shall be avoided where practicable.

b) The use of pesticides, biological control agents and fertilisers shall be minimised.

c) Damage to environmental values from pesticide and biological control agent use shall be avoided, mitigated and/or repaired, and steps shall be taken to avoid recurrence.

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Guidance Example verifiers

  • Discussion with the owner/manager
  • Pesticide policy or position statement.
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3.4.2

Requirement

a) The owner/manager shall prepare and implement an effective integrated pest management strategy that:

  • Is appropriate to the scale of the woodland and the intensity of management
  • Adopts management systems that shall promote the development and application of non-chemical methods of pest and crop management by placing primary reliance on prevention and, where this is not practicable, biological control methods
  • Takes account of the importance of safeguarding the value of sites and features with special biodiversity attributes when considering methods of control, and
  • Demonstrates knowledge of the latest published advice and its appropriate application.

b) The strategy shall specify aims for the minimisation or elimination of pesticide usage, taking into account considerations of cost (economic, social and environmental), and the cyclical nature of woodland management operations.

c) Where pesticides and biological control agents are to be used the strategy shall justify their use demonstrating that there is no practicable alternative, in terms of economic, social and environmental costs.

d) The strategy shall include a description of all known use over the previous five years, or the duration of the current woodland ownership if that is less than five years.

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Guidance Example verifiers

Sites and features with special biodiversity attributes include:

Identification and mapping of areas and features may be carried out on an ongoing basis, provided that it has been completed for an area prior to operations taking place.

See also section 4 in relation to conservation values.

  • Discussion with the owner/manager
  • Written policy and strategy or statement.
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3.4.3

Requirement

Where pesticides and biological control agents are to be used:

  • The owner/manager and workers shall be aware of and implement legal requirements and non-legislative guidance for use of pesticides and biological control agents in forestry
  • The owner/manager shall keep records of pesticide usage and biological control agents as required by current legislation.
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Guidance Example verifiers

Collection of information on pesticide usage should enable trends to be observed and future action to be targeted accordingly, including any necessary revision of the strategy.

Usage should be recorded in such a way that comparisons can be made year on year and fed back into the integrated pest management strategy to demonstrate that pesticide usage is avoided and/or minimised. Therefore, additional to the legal recording requirements (which include product, application rates and area treated), owners and managers may find it useful to sub-divide usage according to operations.

  • COSHH assessments
  • Risk assessments
  • Record of reason for use and pesticide choice
  • Personal protective equipment
  • FEPA records
  • Waste transfer notes
  • Discussion with the owner/manager and workers
  • Field observation, particularly in respect to storage, application sites, protective clothing, warning signs and availability of lockable boxes for transport of pesticides
  • Operators are trained and competent, and hold pesticide operator certification
  • Adequate written procedures, work instructions, and other documentation
  • Availability of appropriate absorbent materials
  • Emergency plan.
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3.4.4

Requirement

a) Pesticides and biological control agents shall only be used if:

b) Pesticides categorised as Type 1A and 1B by the World Health Organization or any other pesticides whose use is restricted by the owner’s/manager’s certification scheme shall not be used unless:

  • No effective and practicable alternatives are available
  • Their use is sanctioned using a mechanism endorsed by the owner’s/manager’s certification scheme, and
  • Any such mechanism provides for their use to be justified and on the condition that usage shall be discontinued once effective and practicable alternatives are available.
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Guidance Example verifiers

Advice to owners/managers

Owners/managers are advised to seek guidance from their certification body or group scheme manager on any additional certification scheme requirements relating to the use of pesticides.

  • Records of chemicals purchased and used
  • Field observation
  • Discussion with the owner/manager and workers.
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3.4.5

Requirement

a) Fertilisers (inorganic and organic) shall only be used where they are necessary to secure establishment or to correct subsequent nutrient deficiencies.

b) Where fertilisers are to be used the owner/manager and workers shall be aware of and shall be implementing legal requirements and best practice guidance for their use in forestry.

c) No fertilisers shall be applied:

d) In addition, bio-solids shall only be used following an assessment of environmental impacts in accordance with section 2.5.

e) The owner/manager shall keep a record of fertiliser usage, including types, rates, frequencies and sites of application.

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Guidance Example verifiers

Unnecessary use of fertilisers may be avoided through the appropriate choice of species.

Where appropriate, hand application should be preferred to aerial application particularly in sensitive catchments.

  • Discussion with the owner/manager and workers
  • Field observation, particularly in respect to storage, application sites, protective clothing and warning signs
  • Adequate written procedures, work instructions, and other documentation.
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3.5 Fencing

3.5.1

Requirement

Where appropriate, wildlife management and control shall be used in preference to fencing.

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Guidance Example verifiers

This requirement is especially important in areas where Capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus) and Black Grouse (Tetrao tetrix) are present.

  • Discussion with the owner/manager.
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3.5.2

Requirement

Where fences are used, alignment shall be designed to minimise impacts on access (particularly public rights of way), landscape, wildlife and historic environment sites.

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Guidance Example verifiers

Decisions to erect fences and their alignment should take account of:

  • Landscape
  • Public rights of way
  • Existing users of the woodland
  • Wildlife especially woodland grouse
  • The historic environment
  • The need for badger gates, tunnels and ladders.

Where fence crossings are provided they should be appropriate to the abilities of likely users.

  • Field visits to verify alignments chosen
  • Discussion with the owner/manager demonstrates an awareness of impacts of fence alignments and of the alternatives
  • Documented policy or guidelines regarding any specific significant impacts
  • Expert advice sought for significant one-off fencing operations.
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3.6 Waste

3.6.1

Requirement

Waste disposal shall be in accordance with current waste management legislation and regulations.

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Guidance Example verifiers

Waste includes:

  • Plastic waste including tree shelters and tree bags
  • Surplus chemicals
  • Chemical containers
  • Fuels and lubricants.

  • No evidence of significant impacts from waste disposal
  • Documented policy or guidelines on waste disposal including segregation, storage, recycling, return to manufacturer.
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3.6.2

Requirement

The owner/manager shall prepare and implement a prioritised plan to manage and progressively remove redundant materials.

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Guidance Example verifiers

Prioritisation and timescales for removal should take into account social, environmental and economic impacts.

Examples of redundant materials include:

  • Tree shelters
  • Fencing
  • Culvert pipes
  • High seats.
  • Field observation
  • Removal plan
  • Budget.
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3.7 Pollution

3.7.1

Requirement

The owner/manager shall adopt management practices that minimise diffuse pollution arising from woodland operations.

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Guidance Example verifiers

Diffuse pollution may arise from:

  • Oil spills and leaks
  • Cutting-chain lubricants
  • Siltation of water courses or drains that connect to watercourses
  • Pesticide or fertiliser run-off
  • Smoke.

Biodegradable cutting-chain lubricants should be used where practicable. Practicability encompasses operator health and costs of running machinery.

  • Records of consultation with statutory environment protection agencies
  • Field observation
  • Operational plans
  • Incident response plans
  • Diffuse pollution risk assessment in high risk situations
  • Use of biodegradable lubricants.
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3.7.2

Requirement

Plans and equipment shall be in place to deal with accidental spillages of fuels, oils, fertilisers or other chemicals.

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Guidance Example verifiers

  • Discussion with the owner/manager and relevant workers
  • Appropriate equipment available in the field
  • Written plans.
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