The Independent has just announced the result of their competition for the best essay on the future of England’s woods and forests. I am delighted that Andy Byfield, a fabulous botanist and former colleague from my time at Plantlife, has won the prize. Andy is a passionate conservationist who writes with real knowledge and feeling for woodlands and other wildlife habitats.
His essay makes some excellent points on the need to bring woodland back into management and to re-create lost habitats. Publically owned land provides an excellent place to start, not only because public land should lead by example and deliver public benefits but these areas also have incredible potential. On the forestry commission estate alone, there is an area of heathland and ancient woodland potential almost twice the size of the Isle of Wight under conifer plantation waiting to be unlocked.
Whilst incredibly important, the public forest estate is only part of the picture. The FC estate covers about 18% of England’s woodland, which leaves about 900,000ha of mostly privately owned woodland. If we are to reverse the dramatic declines in woodland wildlife, such as the willow tit and lesser-spotted woodpecker, we need to tackle the lack of woodland management across the board.
A fresh look at forestry policy in England is needed to deliver productive, sustainably managed, wildlife rich woodlands fit for the future. This requires the conservation sector and forest industries to work more closely than ever before. In the wake of the government’s U-turn on forest sales, the Minister has launched an expert panel to make recommendations on this very topic, and Mike Clarke, RSPB Chief Executive, has a seat at the table.
One thing is for sure, we have a long way to go. I will keep you up-to-date on the developments in this blog, but in the mean time take a look at Andy’s excellent essay here. If we had more people like him pushing in the right direction I have no doubt our woodland will be a brighter place for all.
Welcome Martin to the party.
Well I hope we can help you into the world of forestry.
You are an excellent position to take a step back and look at what did not work when it came to the forestry débâcle. Now would be good this time for the RSPB to stick up for the nations forests and the FC staff, rather than be exposed again by Jonathan Porritt.
On the panel there is a real fear here that the Woodland Trust, Wildlife Trusts and RSPB are just going to go after their single interests and let the rest go to hell in various hand carts.
But the real question is why are the RSPB and its partners on the panel at all?
What happen the night before the Thursday announcement of the U turn? What phone calls were there and between who? Well, we will never know, unless you are invited to the right dinner party and keep paying the subscriptions.
With reference to the above the Forestry Commission has out performed all the environmental NGO in delivering biodiveristy benefits, using less funding from the government to deliver. That this because there is a direct link between economics, social and environmental benefits, as you will well know from your SD days. Remove the conifers and lose the birds.
Sadly if the RSPB keeps harping on about removing 'alien conifers' from heathlands it will take it back, rather than taking it forward. As trees, especially conifers, are part of the landscape of heathlands, working with them, rather than against them will provide win wins for all.
Imaging it, not having to ask Natural England (sorry the tax payer) to cough up £250 to £300 per hectare because a dynamic mosaic of conifers, which protects the birds from those nasty dog walkers, does the job for us. That’s £10million pounds saved in the south for the nation, more birds and great benefits for all.
Sadly for those entrench in the past we can not protect everything, but lets manage its transition with care and wisdom. I look forward to the RSPB thoughts on the panel, I'm sure the million people who voted for the FC will be watching closely too.......
That's excellent that Mike Clarks and hence the RSPB are represented on the expert panel. I would imagine that one of the things that needs to emerge in the recommendations is a clear terms of reference for the Forestry Commission (FC) , which up to now has always seemed to me to be rather muddled and subject to there own whims. One thing in this respect is certain and that is if this Country is to meet its targets of halting and reversing biodiversity loss then the FC, or its subsequent equivalent, must play a key role in this and therefore must have the improvement of woodland wildlife at the top of its agenda as well as the need to remove plantation forestry from potentially rich heathland and chalk/limestone downland. In other words the more one thinks about it the more it becomes clear that so many wildlife and environment issues are interelated.
redkite