myForest • UKFS Checker

The UKFS Checker is designed to enable you to carry out a sustainability self-assessment of your woodland stewardship against the UK Forestry Standard. A total of 36 questions assess your knowledge, planning and management against the Standard. Once completed, you can download a detailed report of your progress from entry through five levels towards Gold certification, along with a certificate showing your rating.

The questions are based directly on the UKFS, with one broad question on each of the eight themes, followed by 3 questions on specific aspects of the theme. Each question is matched to ecosystem services (e.g. carbon storage, habitat provision, flood alleviation, products and other public benefits) that each of the specified management actions are deemed to enhance. A complex scoring system applies a weighting to the answer for each question, based on the aspect’s contribution towards these ecosystem services, and calculates your overall score.

There are five levels from entry through to gold. You can repeat your assessment as often as you like. As your score improves, you will move through these levels and eventually become Grown in Britain audit ready.

Grown in Britain Certification

Grown in Britain (GiB) is a certification scheme that allows you to provide assurance that your timber is sustainably and responsibly managed according to the UK Forestry Standard. Becoming certified is a positive step towards increasing the supply of home-grown timber in the UK in an environmentally friendly manner.

Becoming a GiB certified producer is dependent on the successful audit of your supply chain and processes. You will need to choose an auditor from the Grown in Britain approved auditor list.

GiB has a developed a unique, recognisable mark to give robust assurance for home-grown products. Certification is tailored specifically for the UK's requirements and regulations. Only the Grown in Britain logo is a guarantee that the timber and forest products you produce, process, buy or use, have been grown legally and sustainably in the UK in accordance with UK Government Timber Procurement Policy and conforming to the UK Forestry Standard.

The first step to becoming GiB certified, is to self-assess your woodland management using the myForest UKFS Checker tool. If you obtain either a silver or gold level you are considered “audit ready” and can request a call back following the steps provided on the GiB woodland owners certification page.

How to use the UKFS Checker

To start using the UKFS Checker, log into your myForest account and open the Tools section on the Control Panel for the property. Click on the UKFS Checker dropdown and select to start a new assessment.

Guidance and other support is available throughout the process.

You can save your progress and come back to it at any time. When you have finished an assessment, click Submit. You can repeat your assessment as often as you like as you progress through your woodland management journey to see how your rating improves.

Download Reports and Certificates

The UKFS Checker Report presents your answers to the questions, listing your answers and areas where you can improve, and provides information on how to do that with potential next steps for you to take.

The UKFS Checker certificate presents the woodland you have assessed and the level you reached.

To download a Report and Certificate for a submitted assessment, click on the 3 dots next to the assessment.