Bramshill Forest Plan
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Bramshill Forest Plan South England Forest District Forests Included Within This Forest Plan Bramshill Plantation Heath Warren Warren Heath Eversley Quarry & Busta Triangle Yateley Heath Wood Gorrick Plantation Approval Date of Commencement of Plan: 1 June 2018 Approval Period: 2018 to 2028 (10 Years) Summary of Activity within Approval Period: A separate Felling License provides approval for standard silvicultural thinning across the South Forest District estate as a whole. Habitat Type (ha) Forestry Activity/System Conifer High Forest Broadleaf Woodland Mixed Woodland Open Clear-felling 80 Silvicultural Thinning Prior to Clearfelling Beyond 2028 550 Restocking 144 (including 63 ha of currently open mineral extraction area) Woodland managed under a low impact silvicultural system 145 75 50 Open habitat 170 Wet Woodland Management 25 Coppice 5 Non Forestry Activities 4 TOTAL MAPPED AREA 1104 Contents Introduction Forest Plan Maps Forest Planning Consultation and Approval Process Statistics Objectives Context Wildfire Risk Assessment Location Habitat Designation Citations Landscape and Historical Context Tenure Current forests structure Monitoring and Indicators of Success Silvicultural Systems UKWAS Compliance Table Open Space Veteran Trees & Deadwood Biodiversity and Conservation Glossary People References Historic Environment Soils Water Appendix A—Consultation Landscape Design Appendix B—CSM 6 Tree Diseases and Pests Climate Change Wildfire Resilience Approval FOREST ENTERPRISE Application for Forest Plan Approvals Forest District: South England Forest District FC Geographic Block No: 84 & 85 Forest Plan Name: Bramshill Forest FE Plan Reference Number: 304/87/18-19 Nearest town or village: Yateley OS Grid Reference: SU 8158 6058 Local Authority: Hampshire County Council - Hart District Council West Berkshire County Council - Wokingham Borough Council I apply for Forest Plan approval for the property described above and in the enclosed Forest Plan. I undertake to obtain any permissions necessary for the implementation of the approved Plan. Signed: …………………………………………………………………………... Bruce Rothnie, Deputy Surveyor, South England FD Date: Approved: .................................................................................... Forest Services Area Director Date: Introduction Forest Planning This regulatory approval is usually valid for 10 years and grants a 10 year felling licence. The Approved plan will be Forest Plans define the long term vision for a woodland or a collection of reviewed at year 5 to ensure proposals are still relevant, woodlands, usually looking 50 to 100 years ahead. It sets objectives and suitable and in line with current policy and guidance. This illustrates how management will move towards achieving this vision over the will also be an opportunity to evaluate the success of initial 10 to 30 years. Forest Plans largely deal with silvicultural management management over the 5 year period and engage any and not the management of non forestry activities which may arise during the amendments to the forest plan that may be required. plan period. This plan represents the first major review of the Bramshill Forest Plan that Objectives for Bramshill Forest was originally consulted upon and approved in 2007. The revised Forest Plan has been prepared following a review of the original plan undertaken by FC Provide a regular supply of quality timber to support the forestry staff, and in consultation with stakeholders. It has incorporated developments sector and wider economic development. in policy and local initiatives that have occurred in the intervening years. Maintain the conservation value of wooded and open habitats The Forestry Commission managed land in Bramshill Forest includes an amal- seeking to improve ecological connectivity across the Forest gam of rotationally managed conifer plantation, lowland mixed deciduous Blocks woodland and significant areas of open habitat. This strategic plan should be Safeguard the European listed birds for which the site is interna- read in conjunction with the Bramshill Forest SPA & SSSI Plan (2018) which tionally designated. provides a detailed overview of the conservation management of the open Maintain and increase the species and age diversity of the wood- habitat component across these Forest Blocks. land. Consultation and Approval Process Provide, maintain and enhance where possible the recreational At key points throughout the Forest planning process, we seek the views of experience of the woodland. external stakeholders, including local communities and organisations involved Control invasive plant and animal species and reduce their im- with biodiversity conservation, public recreation and the timber industry. pact across the forest blocks. Through this consultation process we can ensure that an appropriate balance Contribute to water storage and flood alleviation in the wider of objectives is achieved. Details of the consultation strategy for this forest catchment through wetland habitat restoration and maintenance plan can be found in Appendix A. at a forest-scale. Approval of the Forest Plan is granted by the regulatory arm of the Forestry Commission, known as Forest Services. Context Location The Public Forest Estate in Bramshill Forest is positioned on the Hampshire/Berkshire boundary to the North of the M3 corridor between Basingstoke in the West, Reading to the North and Camberley in the East. The blocks cover some 1105 hectares between the M3 in the South and Wokingham further North. Landscape and Historical Context The majority of the area was historically part of Eversley Forest which was positioned between Pamber Forest in the West, Windsor Forest to the North and Bramshot Forest to the South. Gorrick Plantation is located within the historic footprint of the previously far more expansive Windsor Forest. Many of the forests are covered by conservation designations including ‘Sites of Special Scientific Interest’ (SSSI) and ‘Special Protection Areas’ (SPA), they also sit within Natural Eng- land’s Thames Basin Heaths National Character Area (NCA) and are strong influences on the direction of management. Bramshill Forest is comprised of a mixture of rotationally managed conifer plantation, mixed woodland and lowland dry heath, valley mires and scrub as well as ponds with significant areas of land that have recently or are in the process of being restored following minerals extraction. The blocks are somewhat isolated from other areas of high value conservation habitat by roads, farmland and expanding built-up areas all heavily modified from their Eversley Forest origins. The area of SSSI and SPA are notified for important bird breeding habitat provided by the management of rotationally felled conifer plantations as well as a series of ponds and mires which support a rich assemblage of dragon and damsel fly. Much of Bramshill Forest has been excavated for gravel extraction, a process which is still ongoing but drawing to a close. After excavation the sites are infilled and capped with clay and a layer of over burden and then returned to rotational forest management. In places this has been a mixed success and has led to the diverse mixture of landforms evident today. In addition a network of waterbodies and interconnecting ditches add to the landscape character, many being a legacy of historic minerals extraction. Since the turn of the century the Forestry Commission has been gradually restoring and maintaining open habitats across the Forest which has opened up a variable topography and improved the landscape aesthetics by providing a variety of wooded and open conditions. The climate is typical of south-east England with rainfall below 700mm per annum and temperatures ranging from a mean 14.2oC for the warmest month and 5.3oC for the coldest month. Tenure The forests are managed by Forest Enterprise (an Agency of Forestry Commission England) and administered as part of the South England Forest District. It covers some 1105 hec- tares (ha) with 368 ha being freehold and 738 ha managed under leasehold agreement. Current Forest Structure The main tree species found in the forests are Corsican Pine, Pinus Niagra var. Maritima and Scots Pine, Pinus Sylvestrus. Future forest management will aim to diversify the species mix, particularly as many of the stands have been affected by Dothistroma (Red Band Needle Blight). The age structure is fairly diverse reflecting a history of active management and the periodic interventions from gravel extraction. Where appropriate the use of continuous cover forestry systems will be used to diversify the age classes further. Silvicultural Systems The 2 conservation designations that cover the forests desire a rolling programme of rotational open space, and as such the main system that will be employed will be a clear-fell re- stock system. Around the edges of the blocks stretches of broadleaf mixed woodland occur, these act both as a screening and important landscape diversity in an otherwise largely monoculture woodland. Where possible an appropriate continuous cover system will look to be used to enhance this into the future and contribute to the sustainability of the blocks. Context Open Space Open space is an important feature of a forested environment, this plan revision aims to provide a rolling programme of open habitat into the future with a minimum of 10% existing at any one time. This will include the following Section 41 NERC Act (2006) Habitats of Principal Importance in England: Extensive occurrence/major