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Not all land that is owned or managed by the Forestry Commission, Natural Resources Wales or the Forest Service in Northern Ireland is woodland; other land uses include agricultural land and mountain areas and moorland.
The Natural Resources Wales woodland areas and land areas shown relate to areas previously owned or managed by Forestry Commission Wales. They exclude any areas previously owned or managed by other parts of Natural Resources Wales, such as the former Environment Agency Wales and the former Countryside Council for Wales.
Woodland accounted for 79% of all Forestry Commission/Natural Resources Wales/Forest Service land in the UK at 31 March 2016 (Table 1.5). This proportion was highest in Wales (95%) and lowest in Scotland (74%).
| Year | England | Wales | Scotland | Northern Ireland |
UK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| thousand hectares | |||||
| Woodland | |||||
| 2012 | 214 | 117 | 481 | 62 | 874 |
| 2013 | 214 | 117 | 481 | 62 | 874 |
| 2014 | 215 | 117 | 477 | 62 | 871 |
| 2015 | 215 | 117 | 478 | 62 | 871 |
| 2016 | 215 | 117 | 471 | 62 | 864 |
| Other land2 | |||||
| 2012 | 38 | 7 | 170 | 14 | 229 |
| 2013 | 38 | 7 | 171 | 14 | 230 |
| 2014 | 38 | 7 | 170 | 14 | 228 |
| 2015 | 38 | 7 | 171 | 13 | 229 |
| 2016 | 38 | 7 | 170 | 13 | 228 |
| Total FC/NRW/FS land area |
|||||
| 2012 | 253 | 124 | 651 | 75 | 1 103 |
| 2013 | 253 | 124 | 652 | 75 | 1 104 |
| 2014 | 253 | 124 | 647 | 75 | 1 099 |
| 2015 | 253 | 124 | 649 | 75 | 1 100 |
| 2016 | 253 | 124 | 640 | 75 | 1 092 |
Source: Forestry Commission, Natural Resources Wales, Forest Service.
Notes:
1. FC: Forestry Commission (England and Scotland), NRW: Natural Resources Wales, FS: Forest Service (Northern Ireland). NRW estimates only relate to woodland formerly owned/managed by FC Wales.
2. “Other land” includes agricultural land and areas of moorland and mountain.
3. Areas as at 31 March.
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