New 10-year plan targets deer damage to protect trees and farmland
One-third of England’s woodlands — including many on farmland and rural estates — are now estimated to be damaged by deer, prompting the government to launch a new 10-year plan aimed at protecting trees, crops and wildlife habitats.
The package, announced on Friday (20 February), will introduce grants, expert support and streamlined licensing to help landowners, foresters and farmers respond more quickly to rising deer impacts.
Ministers warn that without urgent action, excessive browsing and trampling could undermine woodland creation, nature recovery efforts and domestic timber production.
Deer are an iconic feature of the English countryside and play a role in healthy woodland ecosystems, but growing populations — including invasive non-native species — are now placing unsustainable pressure on sensitive environments.
Overgrazing prevents young trees from establishing and reduces the diversity of ground flora, affecting flowering plants needed by pollinating insects and fruiting shrubs that support birds and mammals such as dormice.
The damage is also being linked to the decline of nightingales, whose populations have fallen by more than 90% since the 1960s due to habitat loss and changing woodland management.
Beyond woodlands, deer impacts are affecting wetlands too, with surveys of the Norfolk Broads showing more than 10% of rare fen habitat has been damaged.
Three of the six deer species present in England are invasive non-native, intensifying the challenge for land managers.
The government says current approaches have not kept pace and that reliance on fencing and tree shelters must be reduced in favour of more active deer management at landscape scale.
Nature Minister Mary Creagh said: “Our trees and native wildlife are under huge strain from deer damage, including from non-native deer species.”
She said the new measures will help farmers and landowners manage impacts more effectively “so woodlands can flourish and crops are better protected”.
“These new areas will also help restore nature, boost our home grown timber industry and protect the millions of trees we are planting across the country,” she added.
The plan includes dedicated deer officers to provide clearer advice, coordination and on-the-ground support, alongside grant funding to back effective management activity.
Licensing processes will also be streamlined to cut red tape and enable faster intervention, including potential changes to night shooting and close season rules where there is a clear need to protect crops, timber and habitats.
Forestry Commission Chief Executive Richard Stanford said: “Deer damage is one of the biggest negative impacts on our trees and woodlands.”
He described the action as “long-overdue” and said the new measures will help reduce pressures from excessive browsing, allowing biodiversity to recover.
“This will help trees, and other plants to thrive, enable nature to recover and provide much needed habitat for woodland birds and other wildlife,” he said.
Alongside management measures, the government will support the domestic wild venison market, helping make deer control more economically viable for land managers.
This includes backing the British Quality Wild Venison Standard to boost consumer confidence and exploring the use of public procurement to increase consumption.
Research and innovation will also form part of the strategy, including drone surveying to identify priority areas and target action more effectively across landscapes.
