FCE-REG-02
Application to Convert Woodland to
Open Habitat
Please use this form to provide details of your project to restore open habitat if
you are applying for either a felling licence without restocking the land or an
alternative area and/or an EIA Opinion for deforestation.
The overarching policy for the sustainable management of forests and woodlands in the
UK is a presumption against the conversion of forest land to other land uses unless
there are compelling reasons in the public interest for doing so. As a result, applications
to convert to woodland to open habitat must comply with the Government’s Policy on
when to convert woods and forests to open habitats in England.
Once completed the form should be sent to us with either a completed Felling
Licence Application or EIA Opinion Request Form.
Part 1 - Site Details
1.1 Site Namei:
1.2 Grid Reference (centre of main tree felling):
1.3 Nearest Town:
Forestry Commission application reference number:
(to be completed by FC staff)
You only need to complete section 1.4 if you have not also applied for a felling licence.
1.4 If the site is designated as a protected site, e.g. Site of Special Scientific Interest
(SSSI), please provide details of the designation(s), etc.:
1.5 If the site is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) please confirm its current
conditionii:
Favourable
Unfavourable recovering
Unfavourable declining
Destroyed / Part destroyed
Unfavourable no change
FCE-REG-02: Application to convert woodland to open habitat
1.6 Please confirm the type of open habitat to be created:
Area (ha)
Habitat Type
Compartment numbers
Blanket bog
Lowland fens
Wood pasture and parkland
Upland or Lowland calcareous grassland
Lowland dry acid grassland
Lowland heathland
Lowland meadows
Lowland raised bog
Purple moor-grass and rush pasture
Reedbed
Upland hay meadows
Upland heathland
Other (please state):
1.6 Please provide a brief outline of your vision/objectives for the site, e.g. the total
area to be felled and how it relates to any existing open habitat area and information on
any trees that will be retained.
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FCE-REG-02: Application to convert woodland to open habitat
Part 2 – Policy Criteria
2.1 Please provide a brief outline of how your proposal fulfils the criteria of sites we may
supportiii.
Extending or buffering high quality habitat.
Connecting high quality habitat.
Woodland adversely impacting on designated areas or for habitats of principal
importance in England1
Opportunities for species of principal importance in England2
To extend or introduce conservation grazing.
Other, e.g. applications to preserve geological features or restore the historic
environment
1
www.naturalengland.org.uk/ourwork/conservation/biodiversity/protectandmanage/habsa
ndspeciesimportance.aspx.
2
www.naturalengland.org.uk/ourwork/conservation/biodiversity/protectandmanage/habsa
ndspeciesimportance.aspx.
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FCE-REG-02: Application to convert woodland to open habitat
Part 3 – Management Proposals and Impact Assessment
3.1 How will the open habitat be managed and maintained in the long-term?
3.2 How will the open habitat change the site’s overall ability to cope with changing
climatic conditions?
3.3 Please provide details of any consultation you have undertaken with the local
community and summarise their reaction. Where you consider this to be unnecessary
please confirm whyiv.
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FCE-REG-02: Application to convert woodland to open habitat
3.4 Please provide details of how carbon emissions will be minimised in line with section
5.4.2 of the open habitats policy. You should also consider the UK Forestry Standard’s
guidelines on Forests and Climate Change.
Not felling trees before economic maturity.
Not removing stumps.
Using the timber and other harvested wood products in activities such as
construction and woodfuel heating.
Extending or introducing conservation grazing.
Avoiding brash burning.
Avoiding removal of the top soil.
Not disturbing deep peat.
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FCE-REG-02: Application to convert woodland to open habitat
3.5 Please provide details of other local impacts which have been considered in
developing the proposal, for example the hazard of wildfire or increasing flood risk.
3.6 Please provide any other documents or information about your proposal, for
example: a copy of your HLS capital works schedule, the SSSI condition assessment or
current photos of the site’s current situation (photographs of the target habitat taken
nearby may also be useful to show the likely visual and landscape impact).
Part 4 - Information about the trees and woodland
Species
Yield
Class if
known*
% of area
to be
felled
Estimated age of
trees (yrs)
* Yield class is a measure of the trees’ average annual increase in volume on one hectare of land.
It represents cubic metres per hectare per year, for example a yield class of 14 equates to 14
cubic metres per hectare per year.
Part 5 - Compensatory tree planting
Compensatory tree planting may be required in certain circumstances (see section 5.3.3
of the policy for converting woodland to open habitat). The Forestry Commission will
consider the proposals set out in this application against the criteria set out in this
section of the policy and in the context of the reasonable balance set out in Section
5.3.1.
5.1 Is compensatory tree planting:
Not proposed.
Proposed elsewhere at this site.
Proposed at another location.
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FCE-REG-02: Application to convert woodland to open habitat
5.2 Please provide either details of the proposed planting (area, species and timing for
planting) and attach a map showing the location, or reasons why alternative planting is
not proposed:
Once completed please submit this form and any further supporting
information with your completed Felling Licence Application or EIA
Opinion Request Form. This should include endorsement for the
proposals from Natural England if you consider compensatory tree
planting is not required.
If a Site of Special Scientific Interest this can be the formal name used on the citation. Please
also provide the management unit numbers.
i
This information will be available from your Natural England advisor or the Natural England web
site: http://www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk/Special/sssi/search.cfm
ii
iii
See section 5.2.1 of the policy for converting woodland to open habitat
iv
See section 5.5 of the policy for converting woodland to open habitat.
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