The CLA has today hosted the launch of the Deer Initiative’s Best Practice Guidance at its headquarters in London, H&C can reveal.

The Guidance sets out ways to manage deer effectively in areas where populations are high.

Launching the Guidance, CLA President William Worsley said: “We are delighted to host the launch of these new guidelines in which the CLA has played a key part.

“Deer are one of the biggest threats to profitable woodland management – something we raised in our recent report Seeing the Wood for the Trees: Forestry and Woodland Vision and Policy.

“Where deer population density is too high, they over-graze the land and damage trees. With the new guidance, landowners and managers can manage local populations to limit this damage.”

Jane Rabagliati, chair of the Deer Initiative Partnership, said: “I’d like to congratulate Judith Webb and the rest of the Best Practice Working Group. Thanks to our partner organisations and the support of the Deer Commission for Scotland, we now have this comprehensive and practical guidance for landowners and deer managers in England and Wales. The challenge now is to ensure that Best Practice becomes common practice.”

The Association has worked with the Deer Initiative on various woodland management workshops in England to spread the message this year with more action planned for 2010.