Woodlands avoided health costs scoping study

RPA is working for the Forestry Commission on a scoping study to develop a deeper understanding of health costs avoided through physical activity from visits to, and activities within, woodlands. This scoping study involves a review of the literature to identify methodologies of and data for calculating the value of physical health costs avoided through visits to, and activity within woodlands, and to explore possibilities of expanding the methods in aspects such as physical health costs of different physical activities and how physical health benefits are distributed amongst socioeconomic/demographic groups. Through this study, we aim to investigate how existing methodologies could be complemented and make recommendations for further research and data collection. The findings will inform future research to supplement the current Natural Capital Accounting methodologies on valuation of woodlands, by increasing the granularity of the assessment of benefits of woodlands. These can potentially inform the allocation of funding associated with woodland activities.