Sefton Coast Woodlands Forest Plan 5 Year Review

Maintain safety within woodlands

2007-04-13T14:18:00.002+01:00

Short term objective: "To maintain the woodlands as a safe area for use as an amenity resource."

Activities:

All properties open to the public make regular health and safety checks.

Signs and information are provided to make sure that the public is aware of forest management activities to help ensure that sites remain open to safe public use.

A question for you:

As many of the sites are open to the public the landowners have to keep their properties safe at all times, especially when there is heavy machinery working, or trees are being felled. Have you ever been aware of restrictions when you have visited the woodlands – how has this affected your enjoyment of them?

Use woodlands for education

2007-04-13T14:18:00.001+01:00

Short term objective: "To utilise the woodlands as an educational resource for local educational establishments."

Activities:

Interpretation boards and signs have been installed and maintained at Formby Point, Sefton Council, National Nature Reserve and Freshfield Dune Heath sites.

Information packs and leaflets have been developed and distributed for Freshfield Dune Heath, Formby Golf Club and Sefton Council woodlands.

Lancashire Wildlife Trust has supported and encouraged student projects.

The National Trust, Sefton Council, St Lukes Church and National Nature Reserve have supported education establishment visits.

Lancashire Wildlife Trust, The National Trust and Sefton Council have provided regular guided walks in the woodland areas.

There has been a joint development of a new squirrel trail on Lifeboat Road.

A question for you:

The Plan did not specify this objective in the first instance, but this review has highlighted that a number of the landowners are very actively involved in education about all aspects of the woodlands. The objective and activities have been inserted – do you feel that this adequately reflects the range of work undertaken across the Sefton Coast?

Monitor Forest Plan progress

2007-04-13T14:17:00.001+01:00

Short term objective: "To monitor the progress of the Plan."

Activities:

An active annual monitoring programme is coordinated by The Mersey Forest.

A 5 Year Review is being carried out in 2006 / 2007, of which this website is a part.

Squirrel monitoring transects are carried out on a biannual basis and National Vegetation Classification National Vegetation Classification surveys are also undertaken.

A question for you:

No management plan is ‘active’ unless progress is being monitored. Each year as much information as possible is collected and collated into reports that are fed back to the public through the Sefton Coast Partnership and all other relevant outlets. There is a balance between collecting enough information to judge progress and not collecting enough – do you feel that we are achieving a useful balance?

Involve public and local community

2007-04-13T14:16:00.000+01:00

Short term objective: "To involve the public and local community in the management of the woodland mosaic."

Volunteers help with brash burning:

Activities:

Lancashire Wildlife Trust, the National Nature Reserve, The National Trust and Sefton Council have all run volunteer task days.

School stewardship, monitoring programmes, warden programmes and patrolling have been carried out over the whole area.

Sefton Council, The National Trust and Lancashire Wildlife Trust have all been involved in school events including planting and other activities.

Work experience students have been given placements with The National Trust and Sefton Council.

A question for you:

All public landowners made a clear undertaking to either continue or increase the involvement of the public in as many areas of management as possible. Have you had any involvement in any activity? If not, why not? Do you see other ways of increasing involvement?

Keep public informed

2007-04-13T14:15:00.000+01:00

Short term objective: "To keep the public informed of progress and developments."

Activities:

Joint and individual articles have been written for publication throughout each year and at key events or during forest operations.

The squirrel reserve has featured several times on the national media, four articles have been submitted to national magazines, and an international seminar has been attended.

Involvement in public events has included attendance of the annual Sefton Coast Forum, Sefton Council Green Fayre and other partnership events, a woodland open day at the National Trust in conjunction with Sea Britain 2005, and Woodland Plan walks.

Church Green Award was presented for woodland management work at St Lukes.

Sefton Council, the National Nature Reserve and Freshfield Dune Heath have provided information boards and signs.

A number of properties offer regular talks related to habitat and landscape.

Most properties carrying out work have kept local residents informed of activities.

A question for you:

During the consultation process in 2001 / 2002, there was an undertaking to keep the public informed of progress through as many media as possible. Do you feel that in the past four years there has been a flow of information and has it been adequate? If not, what more would you suggest should be done?

Working together

2007-04-13T14:14:00.000+01:00

Short term objective: "To provide a structure that allows owners and managers to work together."

A peer review of a thinning exercise at Formby Point:

Activities:

All Task Group meetings have been held as scheduled with reasonable attendance.

Sefton Coast Partnership Forum has been attended by most owners in some capacity.

All sites have sat down with representatives of the Merseyside Fire Service to create a joint Fire Plan for the woodlands. This is ongoing. (For more on fire prevention measures click here).

There is a programme of peer review of operations.

Woodland wildflower training has been carried out with the support of Landlife.

A question for you:

Prior to the Plan there were few structures that provided an opportunity for the landowners to meet together to discuss woodland management activities. There is now a formal structure, the Woodland Owners’ Task Group, which meets under the aegis of the Sefton Coast Partnership on a trimesterly basis to coordinate activities. The minutes of these meetings are available on the Sefton Coast Partnership website (click here). Do you see this as an adequate and transparent forum for coordination?

Providing wildlife habitats

2007-04-13T14:13:00.000+01:00

Short term objective: "To provide places within the woodland for plants and animals to survive - especially those named as 'Priority Species'."

A bracket fungus on deadwood:

Activities:

Squirrel dreys and bat roosts have been retained.

Operations have been halted during breeding seasons.

Thinning has been undertaken to improve light penetration for wildflowers.

Chemical treatment has been carried out to reduce invasive species, such as Japanese knot weed, on a number of properties.

An active grey squirrel capture programme has been put in place.

Where public access allows (in remote and private parts of the woodlands), deadwood has been retained to provide habitat for insects and other wildlife.

Specific habitats have been created including scrub being cleared from heath and around slacks to restore habitats, nesting boxes being installed at appropriate sites and wet areas being managed for wet woodland, meadow and reed beds.

A question for you:

The woodlands are a habitat as well as a landscape and there is a need to manage the structure to encourage desirable species and protect the habitats from invasion by undesirable species. Many people, including volunteers from the public, have been involved in this diverse range of activities – do you feel that we are doing enough to encourage desirable species?

Maintaining the 'patchwork'

2007-04-13T14:12:00.001+01:00

Short term objective: "To maintain a patchwork within the woodland that includes everything from grass to mature trees."

This objective seeks to maintain the existing character of the Sefton Coast woodlands for the enjoyment of all.

Activities:

Within any planting area, 20% is left open to allow glades to develop over the long-term.

Golf courses are being re-designed as ‘links’ golf courses with pine tree blocks as screens and features.

The heath and woodland matrix is managed to retain predominantly heath.

Felling coupes (small areas felled to allow light in through the tree canopy to enable young trees to grow) are becoming valuable habitats for dune grassland species.

The fringes of woodland are managed for grass / tree interface.

Maritime pine has been retained on the National Nature Reserve to maintain diversity and ‘patchwork’.

Six sites have tackled scrub to reduce the regeneration of undesirable species.

Most areas scheduled for ‘cleaning’ have had some work carried out within them to remove undesirable species.

Grass and other vegetation within some dune slacks (ponds within the dune complex) on the National Nature Reserve and rides throughout the woodlands has been cut to encourage species diversity.

Paths and bridleways have been cleared of long grass and brambles in Sefton Council woodlands.

Other activities include: raking of undergrowth has been undertaken to see if vegetation recovery is speeded up in slacks, ground ivy has been managed to provide habitat (but prevented from dominating compartments), tree scrub and isolated pine blocks have been cleared to retain ‘links’ nature of dune golf courses, and ponds have been dug with screen planting.

A question for you:

To retain the diversity of character requires many different land management activities. The consequence of this is that most sites will experience change at some time in the cycle of management. The balance is about keeping character across the whole landscape – do you feel that we have got this balance right?

Retaining 10% broadleaf woodland

2007-04-13T14:10:00.000+01:00

Short term objective: "To keep about 10% of the total area as broadleaf woodland."

Activities:

0.59 hectares was cleared of white poplar for regeneration with broadleaf.

0.95 hectares was thinned at St Lukes Church to improve light penetration for wildflowers and some underplanting.

0.74 hectares was replanted with broadleaves.

About 2.01 hectares was coppiced to generate vigorous regrowth in alder, willow and birch woodland.

A question for you:

The concern has been to limit the large-seeded broadleaves within the woodland area (to try to prevent grey squirrel incursion) and to maintain the overall broadleaf content to 10% of the species mixture, reducing invasive species such as poplar and sycamore. A more detailed analysis of species content has recently revealed that broadleaf content has crept up over the years to 20% or more – do you feel that we are being robust enough in trying to keep to this target?

Maintaining pine woodlands

2007-04-13T13:41:00.000+01:00

Short term objective: "To maintain the predominantly pine woodlands with trees of all ages, through thinning and select felling."

Activities:

Pine trees are a source of food for the red squirrel, so the Partnership has been working to maintain the pine woodlands.

13.96 hectares of coupe felling (felling small areas to allow light in through the tree canopy to enable young trees to grow) was achieved across 11 ownerships. This is done to help achieve a healthy mixture of tree ages within the woodlands.

18.21 hectares (an area the size of 18 football pitches) was planted or regenerated naturally.

7,000m of fencing was installed in the woodlands to mark boundaries and protect the trees.

49.53 hectares were thinned at a mature stage to let light and air in bringing benefits of creating space and reducing disease.

15.05 hectares were thinned at an early stage to give young trees more space to grow.

Five landowners felled mature sycamore and white poplar within predominantly pine woodland to reduce undesirable species.

A question for you:

This work is about maintaining a healthy and dynamic woodland structure and all the owners have focused on achieving the key targets in this area. Do you feel that the balance between doing too much and doing too little is being maintained?

Income from woodland

2007-04-13T13:34:00.000+01:00

Short term objective: "To ensure an income from the woodland where possible."

Activities:

No consolidated woodland management contracts have been issued, but larger scale contracts at Formby Point and on the National Nature Reserve have seen some economy of scale.

The National Trust, Sefton Council and Natural England (then English Nature) (the National Nature Reserves) have received official woodland certification for areas of the Sefton Coast Woodlands spanning 290.30 hectares. Assessed to UK Woodland Assurance standard, it is anticipated that certification will bring a wide range of benefits to the area, from reinforcing conservation efforts to helping local industries. Timber from certified woodlands can carry a Forest Stewardship Council label, providing independent assurance to customers that it comes from a woodland that is sustainably managed to internationally agreed standards.

Firewood is being sold and equipment is being purchased for making site furniture, which if successful could be sold.

At least 10 owners have part-financed forest management work through grant application.

Wider thinking has also included: woodchip as biomass fuels, sale of pine trees as Christmas trees, cards and leaflets using the woodland setting, wildlife booklets, honey from beehives and lamb from associated grazing animals.

A question for you:

It’s essential to find as many sources as funding as possible to enable the woodland management work to happen. This may be through greater efficiency, income generated or through grants, and this is something that will remain a constant challenge. Do you feel this is the right way forward?

Events news

2007-04-13T11:22:00.001+01:00

As part of the 5 Year Review of the Sefton Coast Woodlands Forest Plan a series of public events are being held between June and October 2007. These events will give you the chance to see the progress that has been achieved and to have your say. The provisional programme of events is:

13th June 2007: Open meeting in Formby at St Lukes Church, St Lukes Church Road, run on a drop-in basis from 2pm to 8pm (with presentations at 2:15 and 6:15) – St Lukes Church will also be offering tours of the Church woodland.

18th June 2007: Walk to look at the woodland work and other matters of conservation interest at Altcar Rifle Range, starting 7pm.

7th July 2007: Sefton Coast Partnership Forum. For details click here.

25th July 2007: A woodland plan walk led by the National Trust starting from the noticeboard on Victoria Road at 6:30pm.

9th August 2007: An event to look at work on Freshfield Dune Heath, starting 2pm.

22nd August 2007: A forest guided walk will be held from 7pm to 8.45pm, meeting at the Ainsdale National Nature Reserve office. Booking and further details are available from the reserve office on 01704 578774.

20th September 2007: A woodland plan walk with Sefton Council to begin at the Kirklake entrance to Lifeboat Road at 10:30am.

5th October 2007: An opportunity to link with Squirrel Week, Lancashire Wildlife Trust will conduct a walk to see the squirrels, with an activity with a focus on the Forest Plan. Starts 9:30am. Full details to follow.

Fire risk reduction

2007-04-13T11:21:00.001+01:00

Short term objective: "To maintain fire risk reduction strategies."

Activities:

The key areas of the National Nature Reserves, Formby Point and Sefton Council woodlands have all been developing site plans and strategies with the local fire service.

3.0 hectares, as scheduled, have been felled as firebreak on the National Nature Reserve.

The National Nature Reserve, Formby Point, Freshfield Dune Heath and Formby Golf Course have all invested in and maintained fire fighting access points and routes.

All sites have sat down with representatives of the Merseyside Fire Service to create a joint Fire Plan for the woodlands. This is ongoing.

All public sites are removing all ‘lop and top’ (felled branches and tops of trees) in heavily accessed areas of the woodland. This is necessary due to problems of fires being started using this material.

A question for you:

Fire is a very real risk in the pinewoods and the owners have to undertake a number of activities to mitigate against fire damage. Do you feel that there is anything else that we could do to decrease risks, increase public awareness of the dangers and encourage vigilance?

Involving additional landowners

2007-04-10T16:32:00.001+01:00

Short term objective: "To involve additional landowners in the planting of trees as appropriate."

Woodland area map (click image for large version).

Activities:

There are 32 woodland landowners who could potentially be involved in the Forest Plan. In 2003 16 were involved, and within the first five years a further four have been recruited to the Plan, taking the total to 20. This is equivalent to an extra 6.01 hectares (taking the total covered by the Forest Plan to 410 of the 420 hectares of woodland in the area).

Among the 20 landowners 5.07 hectares have been planted as new woodland.

No landowners outside of the Forest Plan agreement have undertaken any new woodland planting.

A question for you:

The purpose of this objective is to bring in new woodland to the Forest Plan to counterbalance the unavoidable loss of other parts of the woodland due to natural processes (coastal erosion). In 2003 there were 419 hectares of woodland, and now we still have 421 hectares despite some attrition. Do you agree that the measures above are the right way forward?