Issued on behalf of the Restoring Ancient Woodlands Project
7 December 2006
Dartmoor’s Ancient
Woodlands gain
£30,000 for extra care
Extra money is being provided by the Forestry Commission to make it easier for owners to safeguard the woodlands that have been a wildlife-rich part of Dartmoor’s scenery for 500 years or more.
 | The cash adds £30,000, over the next two years, to support the grants fund of Restoring Ancient Woodlands (RAW) – a partnership project, supported by Dartmoor National Park Authority, the Forestry Commission, Natural England and the Woodland Trust – to help care for woodlands within Dartmoor National Park that are known to date back to at least AD1600. |
RAW will use the money to help owners/managers to devise, finance and implement restoration management plans, including the removal of invasive rhododendron. The project also promotes the planning and creation of new native woodlands that extend or link ancient sites.
Project Officer Richard Knott, said:
’Ancient woodlands are sometimes described as Nature’s equivalent of heritage buildings. Unfortunately, they rarely get the same level of care as castles and cathedrals; nor can they rely on collection boxes or turnstiles to pay for their upkeep. This is a worry for everyone who
cares about the long-lived woods that contribute so much to Dartmoor’s beauty, biodiversity, economy, sense of place and history; they are a natural asset we cannot afford to lose. Our hope is that this new money will awaken more owners and managers to the threats our ancient woodlands face - from neglect, alien invaders, grazing damage and a changing climate – and that it will encourage more to get in touch to hear how we can help them to take the right action.’
Through RAW, owners and managers can access information on the cultural, economic, historic, and wildlife value of their ancient woodlands; get free, hands-on, help to plan and manage restorations or new plantings, and a clear route to sources of funding, including Woodland Improvement Grants, to contribute to the costs of any work.
Land-holders who want to find out more about the assistance on offer should contact the RAW office – by telephone: (01626) 832093; email: trees@dartmoor-npa.gov.uk or post: Dartmoor National Park Authority, Parke, Bovey Tracey, Newton Abbot, TQ13 9JQ. Project information also appears on Dartmoor National Park Authority’s web site: www.dartmoor-npa.gov.uk.
In all, Dartmoor National Park contains around 2,750 hectares of woodlands classed as ‘ancient’. They are found mostly in Dartmoor’s steep river valleys, including alongside the Rivers Bovey, Teign, Dart and Walkham, and are sufficiently important to be recognised as one of the South West’s new Ancient Woodlands Priority Areas
Richard Knott explained:
‘Dartmoor’s distinctive wooded valleys and, particularly, its old oak, are especially important for wildlife, providing refuges for several local ‘flagship’ species, such as the buzzard, wild daffodil, beard lichens, bats and dormice. They are also economically important, and not just because of the visitor income they help to attract to the region. We are much more aware now of the need to live sustainably and, with proper management, these ancient woods can provide timber, renewable fuel, and woodland products, as well as employment for local people trained in traditional woodland skills and crafts.’
Ends
For further information from the Restoring Ancient Woodlands Project
Richard Knott, RAW Project Officer
Tel: (01626) 832093
email: rknott@dartmoor-npa.gov.uk
For further information from Dartmoor National Park Authority
Brian Beasley, Trees and Landscape Officer, Dartmoor National Park Authority
Tel: (01626) 832093
email: bbeasley@dartmoor-npa.gov.uk
Notes for Editors
The Restoring Ancient Woodlands Project (RAW) is a partnership between Dartmoor National Park Authority, Natural England, the Forestry Commission and the Woodland Trust. It works in the Dartmoor National Park.
Its main aims are to:
•assist landowners to restore and enhance their ancient woodland;
•support the restoration of ancient woodland sites which have been planted with non-native species;
•promote the establishment of new native woodland, especially where this extends or links remaining fragments of ancient woodland;
•raise general awareness of the importance of ancient woodlands.
Ancient woodlands are important because they:
•are exceptionally rich in wildlife and act as a ‘reservoir’ from which species can spread to new habitats;
•may contain features which survive from the original natural forests;
•are an integral part of Dartmoor’s characteristic landscape (eg the wooded valleys of the Dart, Teign and Bovey), enjoyed by Dartmoor’s residents and visitors alike;
•often contain well-preserved historic features (eg charcoal burning platforms and the remains of past mining activity);
•provide a renewable source of hardwood timber, woodland products and a focus for traditional woodland crafts.
Nationally, many ancient woodlands are at risk. This is largely because a declining market for local wood and timber products, and the associated loss of traditional skills, has resulted in neglect and a gradual reduction in value, both in terms of wildlife and the potential to produce useful woodland products. Neglect creates a dense tree canopy that prevents the successful growth of the new tree seedlings needed for re-generation.
The South West contains over 20% of England's remaining ancient woodlands and their protection and management is a high priority. To this end, Dartmoor has been designated by the Forestry Commission as an Ancient Woodland Priority Area - one of only four such areas initially identified in the South West (the others being Exmoor, the Forest of Dean and the Cotswolds). Owners of ancient woodland in the priority area are eligible for enhanced grants – eg the Forestry Commission meets up to 80% of approved costs for a wide range of management works linked to biodiversity action plan targets (www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/INFD-6TKC45) (external link, opens new window).
Actions to maintain and enhance ancient woodland are listed in The Woodland Strategy for Dartmoor National Park and Action for Wildlife: The Dartmoor Biodiversity Action Plan (www.dartmoor-npa.gov.uk/au-strategiesactionplans.htm). National policy regarding ancient woodland is set out by the Government in: Keepers of time: A statement of policy for England's ancient and native woodland (www.forestry.gov.uk/keepersoftime) (external link, opens new window).
The English Woodland Grant Scheme Woodland Improvement Grant (WIG) exists to fund capital investment in woodlands, over an agreed period, to create, enhance and sustain an increase in the quantity and quality of public benefits, specifically:
•Woodland Biodiversity Action Plan
•Woodland SSSI Condition Improvement
•Woodland Access
(www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/infd-6dce98) (external link, opens new window).
Dartmoor’s RAW project is already working with a number of landowners throughout the National Park. Among other actions, the project has prepared work plans for owners, carried out control of invasive rhododendron and provided temporary fencing to protect tree seedlings from being damaged by deer or livestock.
National Parks cover 10 per cent of the land area of England, Wales and Scotland. They are of special value to the whole nation because of their great beauty, their wildlife and cultural interests and the opportunities they offer for quiet enjoyment. However, they are not nationally owned - the land is in the hands of many landowners or occupiers including farmers. Over 33,500 people live inside the Dartmoor National Park and many millions of visits are made to it each year.
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This page last updated 7 December 2006
