Current forestry operations
Managing heathland
The New Forest has a mosaic of habitat with large areas of lowland valley mires that have great conservation value because they are home to lots of rare and special species. These areas have been maintained through prescribed burning and centuries of commoners grazing livestock on the gorse and heather that helps to maintain the heathlands. This practice continues today and is combined with our annual programme of prescribed burning that removes invading seedlings and produces fresh growth for many plants. Prescribed burning also helps protect the Forest from wildfires in the warmer months, when they can be devastating for wildlife. All of our maintenance activities on the open forest, including prescribed burning, are agreed with Natural England in advance.
We’re very aware how important it is to protect our rare heathlands and the peat underneath. Our work is focused only on burning vegetation on the surface and this is done very rapidly to avoid the heat going down into the soil. Also, this is only done in priority habitat areas and those at particular risk of wildfires, and on a very small scale – less than 3% of the open forest in any one year.
Felling trees
Growing trees for home-grown timber means that they have to be managed all year round. It's vital that our gateways are kept clear for forestry vehicles working on site and emergency vehicles. Warning signs will be in place around the work sites and it’s important that you pay attention to signs your own safety, that of others. Work is only taking place Monday - Friday.
Current work areas:
- National Grid are felling trees above the powerlines in the Marchwood and Fawley Inclosures from 8 January for about 4 weeks.
- Some Douglas fir trees are being removed in Sloden Inclosure and the timber stacks will be collected soon, please look out for big lorries collecting timber.
Trees are being felled in Roe Inclosure, please avoid the area and follow diversions in place.
In Parkhill Inclosure, timber is being stacked, so please take extra care and look out for safety signs warning of big machinery at work.
Thinning of trees in the Coppice of Linwood is underway.
A key part of our work is actively managing the land to make sure the local woodlands that we know and love can thrive for many years to come. There is often a perception that tree felling is bad, but it’s a vital part of good woodland management. Harvesting trees provides the wood that we all use in our daily lives and promotes healthy forests.
It’s easy to focus on tree felling, but that’s only one part of the cycle of growing trees. Over the last six years we have planted over 100,000 trees here in the New Forest, carefully matching the right species to the right location to help its chances of growing and thriving.
A place for everyone to enjoy
Sometimes the New Forest’s rare and special habitats need our help to keep them in good condition and in some cases this requires removing trees to restore them. The country needs trees to help us combat climate change, but we also need to protect our most precious wildlife and habitats. Choosing to restore these special habitats in the New Forest makes sense because the habitat’s plants and the system of livestock grazing needed to maintain the habitat is already here. We have to be sure that we have the right trees in the right places. This is why we are actively seeking to expand and replant our forests across the nation and focus restoration of the rare open habitats within the New Forest.
Forestry England provides sustainable managed woodlands and thinning the trees regularly is a key element of good woodland management. It provides opportunities to open up of shaded and wet tracks, making them more accessible to people on foot, and benefits wildlife including valuable pollinating species. It will be noticeable where machinery has been, however work to repair tracks will take place as soon as possible after all tree felling has finished.
