The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment stresses that it is possible to manage ecosystems so as to strengthen their capacity to provide a range of goods and services. In reality, the delivery of ecosystem services reflects policy and delivery mechanisms, the environment, and the objectives of landowners and managers. Amid gradual changes to forest policy and more recent periods of austerity, the management of treescapes by locally-led groups, such as Community Woodland Groups (CWGs), has become increasingly common. Through document analysis and interviews we explore the objectives and activities of British-based CWGs, and the implications these have for the delivery of ecosystem services. Additionally, we explore CWG’s involvement with three types of networks and the ways in which each facilitates CWGs’ establishment, operations, and ecosystem service provision. We conclude that, while CWGs are capable of delivering a range of ecosystem services, their focus is typically on: (i) cultural services for the benefit of the local community and (ii) biodiversity. Since these foci parallel the goods and services emphasized in contemporary forest policy agendas, it is apparent that CWGs represent a promising model for woodland management. However, to realize their potential and confront management challenges, CWGs often rely on access to advice, labor, equipment, and funding from across multiple networks.
