Biodiversity Minister Jim Knight today announced a new action plan to control grey squirrels in England, focusing on areas where they are damaging woodland and preventing red squirrels from becoming established.

“Many people love grey squirrels, but the reality is that they are a real problem for some of our most threatened native species, such as the red squirrel and dormouse," Mr Knight said. "It is not realistic, practical or even desirable to completely eradicate grey squirrels – but we must control them effectively now or there will be serious consequences.”

Through the plan, Forestry Commission England will:

• support and encourage the effective and humane control of grey squirrels, focusing resources on areas of critical threat to the management of woodland, and on public benefits;
• fund, in partnership with others, research into methods of control and forestry techniques that offer effective damage control and management;
• continue to monitor and evaluate the damage caused by grey squirrels and the threat they pose to sustainable woodland management;
• raise awareness of the need for targeted grey squirrel control;
• work in partnership with other organisations, at a local, England, UK and international levels in achieving these policy objectives.

Mr Knight added:

“Grey squirrels seriously threaten woodland management through damage to trees and woodlands and by squeezing out red squirrels and possibly other wildlife such as woodland birds.

“We have seen in projects such as Red Alert North England how active intervention, control and protection can ensure the safety and expansion of the red squirrel. That commitment from local landowners and other concerned people is fundamental to the long-term survival of the red squirrel and the targeted control of grey squirrel damage.

“Through humane and targeted pest control in the areas where this damage is most critical, local woodland and wildlife managers – with the full backing and expertise of the Forestry Commission – will be able to control and contain these threats, and preserve or rebalance some of our native ecology.”

The grey squirrel was introduced into Great Britain from North America in the 19th century and has spread widely, especially in lowland areas, with a population now estimated at more than 2 million. They are regarded as pests by a number of groups because of the damage they cause to woodland. They are largely responsible for the decline of the red squirrel in England because they are stronger and more adaptable than the red, and they carry the squirrelpox virus, which is lethal to red squirrels.

Despite calls for their eradication from some quarters, Defra and the Forestry Commission believe this is neither feasible nor desirable. Although grey squirrels are non-native, over the last century they have established themselves across the country. For many people they are a visible sign of the country’s thriving wildlife, and they give city dwellers a link with the countryside.

The Policy and Action Statement reflects the diverse views and immense interest in this subject from many partners and stakeholders.

Lord Clark, Chairman of the Forestry Commission, added:

“The role of the Forestry Commission is fundamentally to protect woodlands and increase their value to society and the environment. This policy creates the right balance between protecting native species of woodland and wildlife and allowing controlled presence of non-native species. It gives the Forestry Commission a clear mandate for delivering this, and supports our work in preserving native species of woodland wildlife, such as red squirrels, through initiatives such as the Red Alert North England partnership.

“The Commission will continue to share best practice in the control of grey squirrel populations with woodland owners and managers, through a series of events and briefings across England. We are working closely on this with our colleagues and partners throughout the UK, who are developing their own policies.”

The action plan and the policy behind it have been developed jointly by Defra and the Forestry Commission, following consultation with partners and groups representing countryside, woodland and forestry interests, animal welfare and conservation groups.

The Policy and Action Statement can be viewed at www.forestry.gov.uk/greysquirrel .

NOTES TO EDITOR:

1. The impact of grey squirrels on sustainable woodland management is a widely recognised problem. An independent review of sustainable woodland management carried out for the Forestry Commission by landowners and forestry sector representatives in 2002 recommended the control of species that threatened woodland management. The Forestry Commission’s response agreed to “develop, with partners, a clear, modern policy towards grey squirrels, backed by appropriate practical management strategies”.
2. In 2002, work commenced with a workshop attended by a wide range of interested parties with knowledge, expertise and divergent views. From these discussions, Forestry Commission England, in conjunction with the England Squirrel Forum, produced a report entitled “Towards a Forestry Commission Grey Squirrel Policy”. This went on to form a draft policy and action statement drawn up by Defra and the Commission, and in October 2004, Ministers agreed this should be the subject of a targeted consultation.
3. The consultation was sent out to 28 individuals representing countryside, woodland and forestry interests, and animal welfare and conservation groups. Seven of these returned substantive comments (all of which concerned the extent and means of control measures to be put in place). The comments were all taken into account in drawing up the final Policy and Action Statement.
4. The full list of consultation partners is: Chiltern Woodlands Partnership, Country Land & Business Association, Cumbria Wildlife Trust, Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, English Nature, European Squirrel Initiative, Forestry & Timber Association, Game Conservancy Trust, Isle of Wight District Council, Lancashire Wildlife Trust, National Trust, Northern Ireland Squirrel Group, Northumberland Wildlife Trust, Red Alert North East, Red Alert North West, Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Scotland Squirrel Group, Small Woods Association, UK Red Squirrel Group, Universities' Federation of Animal Welfare, Queen Mary College, University of London, and the Wales Squirrel Forum.
5. The Red Alert North England project recently unveiled a proposed £1 million conservation scheme, including 16 red squirrel reserves, to save the species from encroaching grey squirrels. Nine are in Northumberland, five in Cumbria, and one each in Merseyside and North Yorkshire. Forestry Commission England has also launched new funding streams in support of this work, targeting these areas and surrounding buffer zones through its English Woodland Grants Scheme.
6. Grey squirrels were introduced to Britain in the 19th century, and are now an established part of English wildlife, with an estimated population of two million animals. A full fact sheet on red and grey squirrels is available at www.forestry.gov.uk/greysquirrel.
7. Grey squirrels are estimated to outnumber reds by approximately 66:1, with most of England's remaining red squirrel population confined to larger conifer woods in Cumbria and Northumbria. Kielder Forest may support up to 75% of Enland's surviving population of red squirrels. Elsewhere there are isolated communities on the Isle of Wight, Poole Harbour islands, and at Sefton in Lancashire.
8. The Policy Statement sets out the actions that Forestry Commission England, working with other landowners and managers, will take over the next three years to support effective grey squirrel control.
9. Forestry Commission England is part of the Forestry Commission and serves as the Government’s forestry department for England. It manages more than 250,000 hectares of public forest land owned by Ministers for multiple public benefits such as sustainable timber production, public recreation, nature conservation, and rural and community development; supports other woodland owners with grants, regulation and advice; promotes the benefits of forests and woodland; and advises Ministers on forestry policy. For further information, visit www.forestry.gov.uk/england

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