Forest Plans aim to deliver long-term environmental benefits through sustainable forest management and consists of a strategic plan describing the major forest operations over a 20 year period. RDC Forest Plans were closed to new applications in 2012, but the dataset is still updated in terms of boundary changes to felling phases and LISS.

Support was given to help prepare a Forest Plan through the SRDP's Woodland Improvement Grant (WIG) for long-term forest planning. An approved Forest Plan gave a 10 year approval for felling, thinning and provided the means of accessing grants for restructuring felling and regeneration and other grant support through Rural Development Contracts - Rural Priorities.

This dataset stores information on the Forest Plan boundary, the 1st and 2nd clearfell phases (1-5 years and 6-10 years) and areas managed under Low Impact Silvicultural Systems (LISS).

Basic attribute information is captured during the digitising process. This is subsequently joined to more comprehensive information which is entered in an Excel spreadsheet by Conservancy staff.

Attributes

Case_No : RDC Case Reference Number Descriptor : Description of the spatial feature Cont_Start : Date of Approval Fell_Start : Start year of felling phase Fell_End : End year of felling phase Cont_End : Contract end date Claim_Area : Area claimed for the Forest Plan. This only applies to the FP Boundary GIS_Area : Area generated from spatial data capture RPAC : Regional Proposal Assessment Committee Local_Auth : Local Authority Cons_Name : Conservancy Grid_Ref : National Grid Reference