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Forestry above the Talybont reservoir near Brecon, Wales

There are currently 23 indicators being used to monitor progress towards the aims of the Woodlands for Wales (WfW) strategy, the third revision of which was published by Welsh Government in 2018.  This project will develop and update the existing Woodlands for Wales indicators to ensure they are relevant and fit-for-purpose.  The revised indicators will be used to objectively inform other areas of land-use policy, such as the development of the National Forest for Wales, to ensure that these meet the requirements of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 and the Environment (Wales) Act 2016.

Research objectives

This work will review how well the current indicators have performed since 2001, when the first Woodlands for Wales strategy was published.  The potential to efficiently use advances in data gathering technologies to fill evidence gaps is being explored with a view to increasing the objectivity, effectiveness, and frequency of reporting. In this way we will help ensure that Wales’s woodlands can be resiliently managed to deliver the desired outputs and services for the people of Wales.

Latest updates

Meetings with various external and internal stakeholders are taking place to determine the status of research being undertaken, alongside advances in technology and data collection methodology.  This initial work is crucial in identifying existing and potential sources of relevant data to objectively underpin the revised suite of indicators.

A progress report is being written to help determine the origin of the current outcomes, identify the evidence gaps, and see where more contemporary research is required.  When complete, a link to the initial findings will be published on this page.

Funding & partners
  • llywodraeth cymru welsh governmentWelsh Government

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