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Management Issues and Future Proposals for Epping Forest

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Management Issues and Future Proposals for Epping Forest EB701 18/12/2017 Epping Forest - The next 10 years. - City of London - Epping Forest Consultations Management issues and future proposals for Epping Forest Introduction As one of earliest publicly accessible wild landscapes in Britain, Epping Forest predates Britain's National Parks by some 71 years, but shares a common bond in seeking to preserve the wildness of a treasured landscape while guaranteeing widespread public access. The paradox is that, public access to Epping Forest's 'wildness' needs continuing management to conserve both the Forest's character and its relevance to Londoners as a major recreational resource. Ongoing management of the Forest's landscape, wildlife and visitors is guided by a Management Plan which outlines the vision and direction for this protected area. A new Management Plan for Epping Forest is being developed for the 10 year period 2017 - 2027. To help guide and inform the new plan, this public consultation seeks your help in assessing management challenges and establishing future priorities. An Interconnected Forest "When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe" - John Muir 'My First Summer in the Sierras' 1869 The naturalist and author John Muir, often referred to as the 'Father of the National Parks', describes how active management reveals the interconnected nature of wild areas. His words are as relevant today, as they were at the birth of the National Park movement over 100 years ago. A key challenge for the new Management Plan is to develop truly interconnected policies for the continued protection, conservation and public enjoyment of Epping Forest. Governing Epping Forest The Conservators[1] of Epping Forest is one of oldest of 15 Conservancies, formed across Britain over the past 155 years. Epping Forest land is held in Charitable Trust and is funded by the City's private resources, charitable grants, public donations, and income generation. The Forest is governed by twelve elected members of the principal funder (the City of the London Corporation) and four locally elected Verderers[2] - a key voluntary role that that has overseen Forest management since Norman times. Given the size of Epping Forest, visitor surveys and public consultations play an important role in informing decisions made by the Conservators. How we are consulting This consultation is arranged around six themes which broadly represent the Conservator's key duties established by the Epping Forest Acts of 1878 and 1880[3] . Subsequent legislation on a diverse range of subjects is also reflected in the consultation wherever possible. Public recreation [4] and enjoyment Preservation of the natural aspect[5] Protection of the unspoilt Forest Regulation and management Heritage https://consult.cityoflondon.gov.uk/consult.ti/EF_Management_Plan_1/printCompoundDoc?docid=6709076&partid=6709076 1/96 EB701 18/12/2017 Epping Forest - The next 10 years. - City of London - Epping Forest Consultations Deer management The online consultation process is designed to allow you to comment on any or all of the specific subjects that have been identified as future challenges for Epping Forest. Most individual subjects are crossed referenced. This should help you navigate your way around the sections of the consultation that interests you. The number and variety of these links evidences Muir's claim. This consultation is restricted to the land defined under the Epping Forest Acts and does not include the further 1,700 acres of 'Buffer Land' [6] held separately by the City of London to protect the context and setting of Epping Forest. The new Management Plan will be developed following consideration of the responses to this consultation. Further public consultation will be undertaken during 2016 on the proposed content of the new Management Plan. 1. The Conservators are the Mayor, Aldermen and Members of the City of London Corporation assembled in Common Council. The Conservators are charged with the responsibility of safeguarding the Forest under the Epping Forest Act 1878. The City of London is the organisation that owns Epping Forest. The authority of the Conservators is vested in the City of London’s Epping Forest and Commons Committee. [back] 2. First introduced almost 1,000 years ago, Verderers administered Forest Law and protected the ‘vert’ (all the vegetation in the forest) and the ‘venison’ (the hunting animals, principally deer and wild boar) of the forest. Today, elected by the Commoners of Epping Forest once every seven years, the Verderers sit on the management committee of Epping Forest. [back] 3. The Acts of Parliament passed in 1878 and 1880 to protect and conserve Epping Forest as an open space unenclosed and unbuilt upon for the recreation and enjoyment of the public. [back] 4. Any pursuit engaged upon during leisure time, other than pursuits to which people are normally highly committed i.e. shopping, housework, child care etc. [back] 5. No official definition of this term exists. A precursor to ‘natural beauty’, it was coined by Robert Hunter, who drafted the Epping Forest Act with the City of London’s solicitor, Sir Thomas James Nelson. However, there is no definition of the ‘natural aspect’ within the Act and the papers and notes Hunter compiled have since been lost. While it is clear it relates principally to the Forest’s natural landscape, the same section of the Act also makes reference to ‘earthworks’, ‘woodbanks’ and ‘pollards’, which are manmade features of Forest. [back] 6. 735 hectares (1816 acres) of land owned and managed by the City of London around the perimeter of the Forest to preserve the landscape setting and context of the Forest. Buffer land is currently exempt from many of the requirements of the legislation governing the management of the Forest, but is also not protected in the same way. [back] Strands There are 13 golden strands that run throughout our consultation. These help us to meet our management challenges whilst staying true to our values and recognising the opportunities and limitations of the work we do. Finances and resources Managing Epping Forest - London's largest open space - is a valuable but expensive commitment for the City of London Corporation. The City has not been immune from the reduction in funding seen across Central and Local Government since the economic downturn of 2008. The Forest's £4.5 Million operational budget has already fallen by 12.5% to 2015, and will reduce by a further 10% to 2018, at a time when our statutory and operational liabilities continue to increase. The Forest will need to make many difficult choices over the 10-year life of the next Management Plan and will need to focus on its many statutory[7] responsibilities and obligations. In common with much of the open spaces sector, this will inevitably see a conscious change in the Forest's approach to income generation, for example moving tenancy and licence charges to commercial levels, eliminating subsidies for many activities and introducing charges for hitherto free provision. Visitor experience https://consult.cityoflondon.gov.uk/consult.ti/EF_Management_Plan_1/printCompoundDoc?docid=6709076&partid=6709076 2/96 EB701 18/12/2017 Epping Forest - The next 10 years. - City of London - Epping Forest Consultations We strive to be a warm and welcoming organisation, making the Forest accessible to and enjoyable for all. We want not only to provide a quality service to our visitors but to exceed their expectations. We are listening, committed to consulting with the public, and focussed on making our visitor experience the very best it can be. Sustainability The notion of sustainable management continues to gain acceptance as an important part of our ability to successfully maintain the quality of life on our planet. At Epping Forest we need to develop systems that run indefinitely without depleting resources and maintain the cost of management at viable levels, while also nourishing the needs of the present and future generations. Health & Safety We do everything we can to ensure the Forest is as safe as possible for everyone without stifling opportunities for 'enjoyable risk' and recreation[8] . We provide rigorous training for staff and volunteers and undertake to follow best practice. We were the first body within the City of London to carry out an external H&S audit and want to continue to be frontrunners in this field. Outreach As Conservators[9] of the Forest, we hold the land in trust for everyone to enjoy; promoting and enabling public access to the Forest remains a guiding principle. Outreach is about engaging marginalised local audiences - particularly in the urban areas south of the Forest - and facilitating broader engagement with the Forest by re-establishing wide-reaching community links with this public space. We aspire to remove social and cultural barriers and help people reconnect with the Forest and the great outdoors. Lifelong learning We believe that people are more likely to protect a natural environment if they appreciate it and the Forest provides endless resources for formal and recreational learning. With this in mind, we seek to communicate the value of Epping Forest, establish lifelong connections and achieve 'guided value outcomes'. Equality We want Epping Forest to be an open and inclusive public space. Everyone's invited, everybody's welcome, regardless of their gender, race, age, ability or cultural background, and we want to break down barriers that discourage or prevent people from visiting, volunteering in or working for the Forest. Training To manage Epping Forest, a challenging and diverse environment, we require a broad range of skills, from landscaping to ancient tree conservation. In order to ensure we have the skills we need to fulfil our duties, we are committed to investing in people, both staff and volunteers, through training courses, apprenticeships and skills-sharing programmes.
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