The new guidance on survey methods for Skógarkolefni projects is intended to harmonise the planning, implementation and reporting of surveys within the projects. Among other things, it covers the selection and placement of sample plots, the recording of tree stocking density, growth and health, and measurement methods used to assess carbon stocks. The guidance also describes how survey results should be analysed and presented, and how they are to be compared with project carbon forecasts. The guidance takes account of the survey requirements of the Woodland Carbon Code and is based on Icelandic forest data and models.

The revised Section 2.5 of Skógarkolefni specifies that the first project survey must be carried out in the fifth year following the project start date or project group start date. The second survey must be completed no later than ten years from the start date, and subsequent surveys must be undertaken at intervals of no more than ten years thereafter. This represents a change from the previous version of Skógarkolefni, under which the second survey was scheduled for the fifteenth year and year ten survey was optional. Section 2.5 also strengthens the requirements relating to the preparation of a survey plan, which must be submitted to the verifier before field inspections and measurements commence.

The updated PDD template incorporates the changes introduced in Skógarkolefni 2.2 and should be used for the preparation of new project documentation. The template is available alongside the standard and associated guidance documents on the Skógarkolefni website.

A comprehensive review of the remaining requirements and supporting information contained within Skógarkolefni is currently underway. The review is intended to ensure consistency with these and other amendments that have already been made to individual sections of the standard, as well as with developments in the broader regulatory and operational environment.

Skógarkolefni 2.2 is available on the skogarkolefni.is website. The authoritative version is the text published on the website, and references should always be made to that version. A PDF version of the standard is provided solely for the convenience of users, for example for printing and reading purposes, and should not be cited as the official source.