The Forestry Commission is asking the public for their views on what “the right tree in the right place” means in practice in a landscape that continues to provide environmental, social, and economic benefits. The 12-week consultation "Restoring and expanding open habitats from woods and forests in England" was launched on 12 March 2009.
During the 20th Century large areas of heathland, moorland, wetland and unimproved grassland were planted with conifers because the country needed to grow more timber. On other sites these open habitats were colonised by birch and pine due to lack of grazing or other management. We now recognise that the habitats that these woodlands and forests are growing on are valuable for wildlife. In many cases, it is still possible to restore these open habitats by removing the trees. There is a case for removing some of the woodland to restore and expand open habitats to help conserve valuable wildlife - birds like the Dartford warbler and dunlin, reptiles such as the sand lizard, insects such as solitary bees and the colourful tiger beetle, and rare plants such as the lesser twablade.
However, the woods and forests themselves have many benefits including reducing greenhouse gases, providing a home for woodland wildlife, sustainable timber production, and improving the landscape. Many are loved by local people and some attract thousands of visitors every year. So removing them may not be the best thing to do overall.
At the moment about 500ha of open habitat a year is being restored from woodland and forest as part of national efforts to improve biodiversity. Now Forestry Commission England is seeking views on how we can decide when it is right to remove woods and forests to restore or expand open habitat, if we should at least maintain woodland cover with compensatory planting and when the trees should stay. The consultation will be used to develop a final report to Ministers on the way forward.
Dominic Driver who is leading the project for the Forestry Commission said:
"Today Forestry Commission England has started a 12-week consultation on how we might create a national policy on restoring and expanding open habitats from woods and forests and we want to hear from anyone who has an interest. We would really like to hear from people who use woods and forests and open habitat as part of their daily lives as well as hearing from people and organisations with a professional interest.
"In England today there are around 130,000 hectares of forest and woodland on what were open habitats in the 20th Century including heathland, moorland, grassland, fens and reedbeds.
"The England Biodiversity Action Plan identifies many open habitats as a national priority for restoration. The Government's strategy for England’s Trees Woods and Forests published in 2007 included a commitment to developing a rationale for removing woods and forests to restore open habitat where the benefits for wildlife outweigh the costs.
"The challenge of this new policy is to help conserve wildlife, ensure woods and forests play their part in delivering the England Biodiversity Strategy and continue to have our woods and forests contributing to other Government objectives such as combating climate change, contributing to quality of life, supporting business development, conserving the historic environment and conserving woodland wildlife.
"In practice, restoring and expanding open habitats from woods and forests rarely involves removing all the trees. In many projects, about half the woodland is retained. However, there may be some cases where removing most of the trees is the right thing to do for wildlife. It is getting this kind of balance right that this policy consultation is all about. We need to end up with a landscape that delivers more benefit to everyone now and in the future."
The consultation is part of a process that has already involved many stakeholders with an interest in England's trees woods and forests including timber producers, environmental charities, other Government departments, local authorities, and local community groups. Now the Forestry Commission wants all these groups and more to contribute to the consultation. The consultation and supporting information is published on the web at http://www.forestry.gov.uk/england-openhabitats.
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NOTES TO EDITOR
- The public consultation on creating a national policy on restoring open habitats from woods and forests runs from 12 March 2009 to 5 June 2009. Further information can be found at http://www.forestry.gov.uk/england-openhabitats
- More information on delivery of England's forestry strategy can be found at http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/INFD-7DYC7Z.
- More information on the England biodiversity strategy can be found at www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-countryside/biodiversity/action-uk/e-biostrat.htm
- Contact Stuart Burgess, Forestry Commission, 01223 346027, stuart.burgess@forestry.gov.uk