Isle of Man Plantation Management Plans 2025 to 2045

Overview

The Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture (DEFA) is responsible for the sustainable management of the Isle of Man’s publicly owned plantations. These areas are managed to enhance the well-being of local communities and visitors, to contribute positively to the local economy, and to support and enhance biodiversity values.

DEFA is committed to managing all its plantations to the highest standards, meeting the requirements of the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®). All our plantations are to be independently certified as sustainably managed, ensuring they continue to provide benefits for future generations.

Plantation Management Plans define the long-term vision for our Plantations and set out how management will move towards achieving this vision over the next twenty years. DEFA is in the process of developing new plans for its plantation estate. These plans will encompass an area of approximately 2,877 hectares (7,109 acres) and are designed to address key issues as well as long-term management objectives:

• Recognise the importance of public access and the involvement of the community in developing the future design
   
• Promote and sustain accessibility to the visually appealing plantation area to foster health and wellbeing, while offering an inviting environment for tourism
   
• Design and manage the plantations to deliver sustainable carbon management (adaptation, reduction, capture) throughout the rotation, while balancing productivity with resilience
   
• Biodiversity and habitat enhancement: promote the conservation and improvement of diverse habitats, with a particular focus on riparian zones, and seek opportunities to support a broad range of species, including birds, pollinators and insects
   
• Increase the resilience of the plantations and their ecosystems to future climate change and other threats
   
• Enhance native broadleaf species within riparian zones and along plantation boundaries to support the expansion and connectivity of native broadleaved habitats
   
• Review the appropriateness of conifer establishment in low Yield Class areas on wet soils, especially where peat is present, to minimise carbon loss and support habitat restoration
   
• Enhance resilience by diversifying tree species and age groups, and by increasing the representation of alternative conifers as well as native broadleaved species
   
• Implement timely thinning and manage Low Impact Silviculture Systems (LISS) / Continuous Cover Forestry (CCF) where this is feasible
   
• Optimise softwood production from commercial conifer crops through coupe and access design and by reviewing options on steep and marginal ground
   
• Improve visual amenity and landscape impact of the plantations

Our goal is to manage these plantations and open spaces in an efficient and responsible way that provides comprehensive social, economic, and environmental advantages, while maintaining a safe setting for public use both now and in the future.

Why your views matter

We would like to invite you or your organisation to leave some feedback on our National Plantation Management, and District Management Plans. This forms part of our consultation with stakeholders, that helps to ensure that we achieve an appropriate balance of objectives.

We welcome your feedback to help improve the proposals. Your insights will help us thoughtfully balance and consider the objectives for these plantations in the plans.

Reasonable adjustments and alternative formats

The Department is committed to equal opportunities and our aim is to make our documents easy to use and accessible to all.

We will take steps to accommodate any reasonable adjustments and provide such assistance as you may reasonably require to enable you to access or reply to this consultation.

DEFA is aware that some or all PDFs provided for this consultation might not be accessible and as the consultation heavily relies on them, those who require assistance or alternative formats can contact them via email forestry@gov.im or telephone +44 1624 695701.

Responding to this consultation and questions

You can respond to this consultation online by clicking on the 'Online Survey' link below. Alternatively you can download a paper version of this consultation in the 'Related' section below and email it to forestry@gov.im or post it to:

Jason Bolt,
Head of Forestry, Amenity and Lands,
Department of Environment Food and Agriculture,
Thie Slieau Whallian,
Foxdale Road,
St John,
Isle of Man,
IM4 3AS