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.
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