Woodland Strategy 11.34 Mb - the Dorset AONB

Section 7
48
• Identify gaps and means of addressing these relevant to the farming and food industry
• Inform priorities in the W Implementation Plan of the Rural Developemnt Programme for
England 2007-2013
Towards 2015 – South West Tourism
This document details the vision for tourism in the region combined with the key issues and
priorities for action. It should be read in conjunction with the annual delivery plans for each
Brand Cluster and Destination Management Organisation.
South West Regional Woodland and Forestry Framework
This framework is the first point of focus on the future of the region’s woods and forests. It
sets out priorities for activity across public, private and voluntary sectors and details partners,
actions and resources. Could list the main themes of the SWRWFF
South West Regional Woodfuel Framework 2005
The framework promotes the sustainable management of woodlands through the promotion
and use of woodfuel, increasing direct links between communities and local woodlands to
bring environmental, economic and social benefits. This Framework aims to provide a focus
for the structure of the whole region’s woods and forests and identifies how the region can
benefit more from woods and be a better custodian of its existing woods and forests. It sets
out priorities for action for next 10 -100 years. It expands on the multifunctional role of
woodland suggesting that it should be viewed as contributing economically, environmentally,
and through tourism.
Local
Dorset AONB Management Plan
This plan identifies the key issues affecting the AONB and provides a broad policy framework
that has been adopted by the local authorities and approved by the statutory agencies. This
policy framework will help to ensure the conservation and enhancement of the AONB for
future generations. An Action Plan for 2004-9 has also been produced that sets out the
specific priority actions that will be undertaken to deliver the policies and vision. Within
the Dorset AONB Management Plan trees are seen as a major component of all landscape
types in Dorset and a valuable biodiversity resource. The Plan points to woodlands having
an increasing role in landscape improvement, biodiversity, recreation and pollution
amelioration and highlights the difficulties decreasing economic value of woodland is
having on the management of these areas.
Key issues identified relating to forestry and woodlands are:
• Decline in both quality of native woodland as a result of lack of management,
• Fragmentation of native woodlands
• Introduction of non-native species in plantations
• Decrease in economic and ecological value of woodlands
• Rising deer numbers
• Damage by disease such as Dutch Elm Disease
• The need to a healthy, local market for timber products
• The need to identify new woodland plantings that combine ecological, social, landscape
and recreational benefits.
The report also points out the issues of coniferous plantation woodland on heathland and
wetland habitats which are of national importance. The removal of these trees and the
linking of priority non-wooded habitats through the re-creation of open ground of high
nature conservation value is widely accepted, but with a targeted and paced approach.
The woodland, tree and forest strategy will provide the backbone for woodland related
issues in the AONB management plan, which is currently under review.
Landscape Character Assessments
Landscape Character Assessments identify and describe the characteristic features of a
landscape through the identification of landscape character types and provide guidelines
on how to manage change relevant to each character type. They provide a framework and
information base from which sustainable planning and management can be developed.
With the ever increasing emphasis on sustainable development landscape character
assessment is an extremely important tool for making informed decisions, in particular
for identifying new planting, creation of habitat linkages and management of existing
woodlands and forests.
Cranborne Chase AONB Management Plan
This plan completed in 2004 identifies 7 key aims ranging from landscape through to
sustainable rural communities. For each aim the key issues have been identified and
objective given to progress their management.
The plan identified the following key issues relating to forestry and woodlands:
• Low commercial value of timber leading to lack of management
• The viability of coppice management
• Lack of management leading to a decline in characteristic landscape features
• Ongoing loss of veteran trees coupled with a decline in ancient broad-leaved oak
woodland
• Decline in wet woodland
• A need to restore planted ancient woodland sites
• Inappropriate new planting causing loss of other important habitats