The woodland creation application process

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When to follow our woodland creation application process

Do you have a woodland creation project in Scotland? You should apply to Scottish Forestry for permission.

We need to know about it in any of these circumstances:

you intend on applying for Scottish Government grant support to create a new woodland
your project is an afforestation project which needs a screening opinion
- Forestry Environmental Impact Assessment (Scotland)
it is a woodland compensatory planting scheme
- required as a condition of a planning permission, seeking Scottish Forestry's approval

There are lots of things to consider when creating your woodland creation application.

You can:

check our EIA Screening page to confirm if you need to apply for a formal screening opinion
Apply for an EIA screening opinion
visit our Map viewer for information about which species might be suitable for your site
Scottish Forestry Map Viewer
see if an individual tree species is a suitable choice, using the Ecological Site Classification tool
Ecological Site Classification tool (Forest Research website)
run a land information search - there is lots of public information that will help you get to know your site
Land information search
think carefully about choosing the right trees and future management, informed by your:
- objectives for planting trees
- vision for the future
check the UK Forestry Standard to make sure your proposals are sustainable
The UK Forestry Standard (UKFS)
check your local council website for their local woodland strategy - this will give you an idea whether your proposals are a good fit

If you are applying for a screening opinion use our screening opinion request form.

We recommend you start an issues log to help you record any site sensitivities.

We also have a deer management plan template available to support your application.

There are opportunities for stakeholders to get involved in the process.

These are available at different stages of a woodland creation application, depending on the type of project:

Due Diligence
At this stage the applicant will gather information about their site, and reach out to any stakeholders. This includes residents, communities and interest groups.
Public register
At this stage there is a formal engagement period. Applications submitted to our Forestry Grant Scheme (FGS) woodland creation grants will be available on the public register.
Forestry Grant Scheme woodland creation and tree Felling Permission applications
Environmental Impact Assessment
If a woodland creation application is an EIA project there is a formal consultation process.
Forestry Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs)

The level of engagement will be proportionate to the scale and sensitivity of the scheme.

You may be able to receive funding for trees, protection and other costs.

Check available funding and support to see if you are eligible to apply for an FGS woodland creation grant.

We also offer loans on the first 20 hectares of new planting proposals, via the 'Small Woodland Loan Scheme'.

Available funding and support Small woodlands loan scheme