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24 Jan 2011 10:00
Save England's ancient forests!
In defence of ancient woodland - Woodland Trust goes back to its roots
New campaign around impending Forestry Commission sales in England puts failure of current protection measures and urgency of restoration of damaged woods under spotlight
Announcing its campaign to Save England's Ancient Forests on the day the Government launched its public consultation on the sale of the Forestry Commission estate, the Woodland Trust has entered the debate with a two pronged attack on the proposals. It is citing the failure of protection safeguards for ancient woodland and the lack of restoration of hundreds of damaged ancient woods owned by FC.
Its latest campaign aims to lead the wider call to protect all ancient woodland as well as those sites ready for restoration (Planted Ancient Woodland Sites - PAWS) as they come under threat from Government plans.
The public is being asked to sign the Trust’s online petition at www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/protect and to add their evidence about how their local woods in the public estate are currently used and valued. The Trust will include the public's comments to shape its case to Government as part of its formal consultation response.
The Trust is arguing that to sell sites without a radical overhaul of current safeguards would spell disaster for England’s oldest and most iconic woods, regardless of who owns them in the future, and is citing examples of woodland loss and degradation on land in public and private ownership alike as proof of the need to do so.
Sue Holden, chief executive of the Woodland Trust, said: "Ancient woodland is the UK’s equivalent of the rainforest. New, tougher safeguards must be in place for our oldest and most iconic woods before any 'For Sale' signs are erected. We urgently need to move this debate on, away from its current focus on changes in future ownership to one which recognises that the protection of our ancient woods is the real issue.
"Defra ministers have promised to maintain existing protection. They must make sure that planning reforms proposed by other ministers in the Department for Communities and Local Government do not water down the current detailed statements on protecting ancient woodland, by emasculating national planning guidance. But that is not enough – they must also guarantee future protection, for example by creating new mechanisms for protecting ancient woods far into the future, such as conservation covenants.
“If ancient woods were buildings they would be protected to the highest Grading. But natural heritage is not afforded the same importance, despite the fact many ancient woodland sites date back far beyond that of the built environment."
The Woodland Trust has already outlined its particular concerns over the future of 20,000 ha of un-restored conifer PAWS in any accelerated disposal programme.
Sue Holden continued: “The restoration of the hundreds of ancient woods damaged by conifer planting between the 1940s and 1970s represents the biggest opportunity for woodland wildlife conservation in England I have ever known .
"Restoration is time critical. The future for these damaged ancient woods is hanging in the balance. Replacing conifers with more conifers will smother the life out of these woods. If these woods are not restored, we may lose a once in a lifetime opportunity."
The Trust's campaign seeks a guarantee from the Commission that all of its thousands of hectares of damaged ancient woods will be restored as a matter of urgency, before it is too late and before any sales take place.
“It is essential that the Government treats all FC ancient woods as a special case in any disposal programme, closes the loopholes in protection and restores its stock of damaged ancient woods, so that public access and wildlife havens are guaranteed, no matter who owns the woods in the future.”
Notes to Editors:
For broadcast quality footage of restoration, follow this link to download: http://www.woodlandtrust.presscentre.com/Media-Library/PAWS-restoration-at-Penn-49c.aspx
To see our campaign video visit the Woodland Trust YouTube channel:
http://www.youtube.com/user/woodlandtrust#p/a/u/0/t5IJxCaX2yw
For pdf maps of Forestry Commission PAWS sites visit:
http://www.woodlandtrust.presscentre.com/imagelibrary/default.aspx?SubjectID=148
Ancient woodland:
This is land that has been continually wooded since at least AD1600. It is the UK’s richest habitat for wildlife being home to more species of conservation concern than any other habitat, supporting some 232 species as outlined in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan, 1994. The UK has lost 50 per cent of what the country had in the 1930s, and ancient woodland now accounts for just 2.4% of our land area, a loss fuelled by the fashion for planting fast growing conifers in an industrial age. Once destroyed, it cannot be recreated with new planting.
PAWS:
This is ancient woodland where the broadleaves have been removed and the site replanted with non-native species, chiefly conifers. These sites are ancient woods ready for restoration. They present a key opportunity for habitat restoration, as remnant ancient woodland features - woodland flora and native trees - remain in nearly all plantations, but are often fragmented and reduced. Together with the undisturbed soils, these are the building blocks to return the woods to their former glory. There is a limited window of opportunity to remove conifers and restore the woodland to a semi-natural state; if another conifer rotation is planted then the ancient woodland features may be lost for ever.
Failings in protection:
In the last decade the Trust has fought more than 350 cases involving over 850 ancient woods threatened by development, ranging from roads and housing to airports, golf courses and power lines. These woods cover over 26,000 hectares which is 5% of the total area of ancient woodland - or equivalent to an area the size of Birmingham.
Right now throughout the UK there are over 370 ancient woods covering around 10,000 hectares – or nearly 2% of the total area of ancient woodland - which are subject to a current planning application which could physically damage them, fragment them or destroy them entirely.
Currently there are a number of mechanisms which may protect woodland, but there is a hierarchy of legislation. Planning permission, once granted and having been subject to the scrutiny of various processes, overrides forestry legislation such as felling licences.
However, under national planning guidance in England ( Planning Policy Statement 9 for example), ancient woodland should be protected if at all possible and not developed - but this is guidance only, and the wording still leaves a get-out clause to allow this protection to be over-ridden if a developer can demonstrate an economic need.
Other aspects of protection such as the independent auditing of woodland management under the UK Woodland Assurance Standard (UKWAS) are purely voluntary. While it brings with it an obligation to restore damaged ancient woods, there is no legal redress if landowners fail to do so and no way to ensure a future private landowner continues to maintain UKWAS certification.
Failings in restoration:
The Forestry Commission’s ‘Keepers of Time’ policy on ancient woodland published in 2005 commits it to the principle of restoring ancient woodland and to preparing an action plan for this to happen on its own estate. Since 2002 it has restored 1,890 ha of planted ancient woods on its estate (figures at April 2009)
For more information contact:
About Woodland Trust
The Woodland Trust is the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity championing native woods and trees. It has more than 300,000 members and supporters and its three key aims are: i) to enable the creation of more native woods and places rich in trees ii) to protect native woods, trees and their wildlife for the future iii) to inspire everyone to enjoy and value woods and trees. Established in 1972, the Woodland Trust now has over 1,000 sites in its care covering approximately 20,000 hectares (50,000 acres). Access to its sites is free.