South West Forest A Rural Development Programme

1. South West ForestA Rural Development Programme Overview - North Devon Biodiversity Forum David Rickwood RDFA

2. SOUTH WEST FOREST AREA

3. SWF STATISTICS • The area of the SWF is 300,000 ha • Woodland cover is currently just under 10% • European Average 36% • The original target was to double woodland cover • This means 30000 ha of new woodland in SWF • 3000 ha planted since 1999 - 6 years • Average of 500 ha per year (very significant !!!) • Will take 60 years at current planting rates

4. SWF SERVICES The South West Forest team has a range of outputs grouped in four main services:- • Advisory services • Training & Best Practice services • Community & Education services • Annual Woodfair

5. ADVISORY SERVICE • Advisory visits and reports • Application of scoring for SWF Supplement • Countryside Clinics at South Molton (soon!!) • Monitoring visits and reports • Development of strategy • Presentations/Shows/Demonstrations

6. TRAINING SERVICES • Provision of Training events • Provision of Best Practice Events

7. COMMUNITY & EDUCATION SERVICE • Implementation of Civic Woodlands Programme • Creation of networking via SWF Collaboration Group • Creation of Celtic Roundhouse • Visits to Schools • Networking with Forest Schools

8. SWF Regional Supplement - 2003

9. SWF Planting Statistics since 1997

10. TREES AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT • Bringing income to the South West • Raw material for local wood users • Trees as context for green tourism • Sporting / Fishing • Cycling / Walking / Orienteering • Horse Riding & Bird Watching • Log Cabins and Camping Barns • Trees have a presence value for all activities

11. WOODLANDS & RURAL DEVELOPMENT ? Economic Value of Woodlands in the South West Value In Millions Per Annum Timber Production 17 Timber Processing 134 Induced Effects 50 Tourism, Recreation, Biodiversity Landscape, Carbon Fixing etc 300-375

12. South West Forest Oak Champion for the North Devon Biodiversity Action Plan

13. North Devon District Council

14. North Devon District Council The area of the NDCC is 110,500 ha Woodland cover is currently just over 12%

15. All Woodland All Woodland 13,500 ha Broadleaf 9800 ha - 73% Conifer 2200 ha - 16% Other 1500 ha - 11%

16. Managed Woodland New Woodlands - 1000 ha Existing Woodland - 2700 ha Total Managed Resource 3700 ha less than one third of all woodland 27%

17. Ancient Semi Natural Woodland Ancient Semi Natural Woodland 1300 ha 9.5% of Woodland Resource Planted Ancient Woodland Sites (PAWS) 999 ha ? Data ?

18. Biodivesity Action Plan BAP Targets No loss of ASNW Achievable ? Probably ? Threats Development ? Most ASNW tends to be in inaccessible areas

19. Biodivesity Action Plan Increase Area of Oak Woodland Under Management By 20% by 2011 Achievable ? Not Currently Very difficult to calculate in any easy way how much woodland is increasingly or decreasingly being managed Guess Arguably less is being managed - No Economic Value / Grants

20. Biodivesity Action Plan Target by 2005 - 1000 hectares of Oak Woodland Achievable ? Since 1985 - 2001 - 983 ha planted (All Types) Current Planting Rate 160 ha per annum of which say 60% + is or will ultimately be Oak dominated 96 ha per year therefore the current target will take 10 years

21. Biodivesity Action Plan At least One Accessible Oak Woodland within 20 km of every main settlement in North Devon Achievable ? Very tricky to Estimate and Very Ambitious Community Woodlands (SWF) 3 sites Future Bratton Flemming/North Molton Woodland Trust 6 Sites. SSSI’s 4 Sites (approx) NDDC ? Sites

22. A Positive Future ? SWF Fall In Planting - increase in broadleaves & better public value EWGS April 2005 Little change to planting incentives - but potentially more money for communities Significant opportunities for PAWS Restoration Better Opportunities for small Undermanaged woodlands ?

23. Questions