About the plan area

The South Downs Forest, including the woodlands of Marden, Charlton & Drovers, Selhurst, Eartham and Houghton, is one of the largest areas of publicly managed woodland in West Sussex. Covering just over 2,000 hectares within the South Downs National Park, these woodlands form an important part of the landscape and provide benefits for wildlife, recreation, heritage and sustainable timber production.

The forests are predominantly beech woodland, with important areas of ancient woodland, yew woodland, chalk habitats and mixed broadleaf and conifer woodland. The area includes part of the internationally important Kingley Vale Special Area of Conservation (SAC), Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), and a wealth of archaeological features including Stane Street Roman Road, burial mounds and numerous Scheduled Monuments.

The South Downs woodlands are popular with walkers, cyclists and horse riders and are crossed by national trails including the South Downs Way, Monarch's Way, New Lipchis Way and West Sussex Literary Trail. Together they provide some of the most extensive woodland recreation opportunities within the National Park.

Our long-term vision for the South Downs

Forestry England aims to create a resilient, diverse and welcoming woodland landscape that can adapt to climate change, tree pests and diseases, and changing environmental conditions. We want the South Downs woodlands to continue providing benefits for people, wildlife, heritage and sustainable timber production while conserving the special character of the National Park.

Key objectives of the forest plan

1. Building resilience to climate change and tree diseases.

• Increase the diversity of tree species and age classes across the forest.
• Encourage natural regeneration where suitable and supplement this with planting where required.
• Introduce tree species and provenances better suited to future climate conditions.
• Reduce reliance on large areas of even-aged beech woodland by creating a more varied woodland structure.
• Respond to threats such as ash dieback, Ips typographus and other emerging pests and diseases.

2. Protecting and enhancing wildlife and habitats.

• Continue restoring Planted Ancient Woodland Sites (PAWS) towards native and near-native woodland.
• Maintain and improve the condition of protected sites including Kingley Vale SAC and local SSSIs.
• Strengthen ecological networks and improve connections between woodland and surrounding habitats.
• Enhance open spaces, woodland rides, glades and ride edges to benefit butterflies, birds, bats and other wildlife.
• Increase deadwood and veteran tree habitat across the forest..

3. Caring for soils and the wider environment.

• Expand the use of Low Impact Silvicultural Systems (LISS) across suitable woodland areas.
• Promote species that improve soil health and long-term woodland resilience, including birch, hornbeam, alder and small-leaved lime.
• Manage woodlands in ways that protect soils, water resources and landscape character.
• Support the objectives of the South Downs National Park Partnership Management Plan.

4. Protecting heritage and landscape character.

• Conserve Scheduled Monuments and other archaeological features through sensitive woodland management.
• Protect the distinctive wooded landscape of the South Downs National Park.
• Ensure forestry operations remain sympathetic to the surrounding landscape and historic environment.

5. Supporting public access and recreation.

• Maintain existing opportunities for walking, cycling and horse riding throughout the forest.
• Continue providing high-quality woodland experiences for local communities and visitors.
• Improve visitor experience where opportunities arise while ensuring recreation remains compatible with woodland resilience and nature conservation objectives.

What this means for the future

Over time, the South Downs Forest will become:

• more diverse, with a greater range of native and climate-resilient tree species.
• more resilient, with woodland structures better able to withstand drought, storms, pests and diseases.
• better for wildlife, through continued ancient woodland restoration, habitat enhancement and improved ecological connectivity.
• richer in heritage value, with nationally important archaeological features protected and conserved.
• more enjoyable to visit, providing high-quality recreation opportunities within a nationally important landscape.
• better aligned with national priorities, including climate adaptation, nature recovery, ancient woodland restoration and sustainable timber production.