Legal needs of woodland social action groups

Working Woodlands Social Action

Over the summer, the NAAONB-led Community Energy Peer-to-Peer Mentoring Partnership (CEPM) ran three study visits in working woodlands. Over 90 participants attended the study visits and provided a list of training and research needs pertinent to developing woodland social action.

As a result the NAAONB/CEPM Partnership is now running a series of events including the following

• Exploring relationships with woodland oweners to support more woodland social action
• Making the most of your wood fuel
• All things legal - a surgery session looking in detail at the legal needs of woodland social ction groups
• Running and sustaining a successful woodland social action group
• Understanding woodland management

These are open events aimed at woodland owners and community groups interested in managing or utilising woodland resources through social action/ public involvement. See further information on the full project at the bottom of the page.

The third of these events will take place on Monday 1st December 2014 in Birmingham.

Legal needs of Woodland Social Action Groups

This training event will look at the essential legal matters that underpin successful running of a woodland social action group. By the end of the event participants will have better understanding of

• the legal forms available to woodland social action groups and

• the different forms of property tenure – leases, licences, management agreements and the pros and cons for long term woodland social action.

For further information see

http://www.landscapesforliferesources.org.uk/blog/legal_needs_of_woodland_social_action_groups_workshop/

If you are interested in this event, you may also be interested in

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/exploring-relationships-with-woodland-owners-for-social-action-tickets-13703209669

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/understanding-woodland-management-tickets-14072444059and

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/making-the-most-of-your-wood-fuel-tickets-13704742253

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Further information about the NAAONB Working Woodlands programme

During the summer the Cabinet Office/DECC funded NAAONB Community Energy Partnership hosted 3 woodland study visits. These were exciting opportunities to visit working woodlands where practical management is being driven by the involvement of local people.

The study visits were free events aimed at woodland owners and community groups interested in the social, environmental and economic potential of sustainably managed woodland. During the study visits participants

• met woodland owners and community leaders engaged in woodland social action,
• explored the opportunities and constraints involved in establishing and maintaining woodland social action,
• saw practical evidence/ demonstrations of woodland social action,
• helped develop themes and content for 6 technical training events and focused peer to peer mentoring to support take up of new social action.

The study visits were part of a structured learning and development process to support woodland social action in our protected landscapes. The programme is being led by the NAAONB with funding from the Cabinet Office and DECC through the Community Energy Peer to Peer Mentoring Programme.

During 2014, the NAAONB have been working with community energy partners Dorset AONB Partnership, Axewoods Co-op, Prime Coppice Woodland, Wyre Forest Landscape Partnership, Silverdale & District Woodbank Group and Arnside & Silverdale AONB Partnership to deliver a structured process of learning and development around woodland social action that will result in more woodlands becoming ‘actively’ managed, more community groups confidently engaged in woodland activities and a stronger wood fuel supply chain to provide domestic heat.

Woodland and trees are fundamental components of most designated landscapes – the first phase of the NAAONB social forestry pilot work engaged with 8 community woodland projects to understand how local people are becoming key to unlocking under managed woodland assets and delivering a wide range of positive outcomes from improved habitat for priority species to supply of wood fuel to opportunities to enhance wellbeing.

(see:http://www.landscapesforlifeconference.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Social-Forestry-Pilot-Report-FINAL-Oct-2013.pdf)