Dales Woodland Restoration
Woodland in the Dales
- Although the landscape of the Yorkshire Dales is famous throughout the world, it is lacking in one vital aspect: it has less broadleaf woodland than any other national park.
- Only 3.5% of the land is covered by trees, compared with the national average of 9%. Of this, more than half is conifer plantation.
- Over the years there has been a steady loss of native trees and woodland in the Dales, principally through the intensification of sheep-grazing. Furthermore between the late 1960's and early 1970's some areas of the Dales experienced significant upland coniferous afforestation.
- The 'Dales Woodland Strategy' was produced by the many interested parties who make up the Dales Woodland Forum. It has the ambitious aim of doubling the amount of broadleaved woodland in the dales by 2020. This will be achieved by creating new broadleaved and mixed plantations, ideally next to existing woodland.
- Since 1997, the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust has already planted or restored more than 50 woods.
- Ash woodland is the most abundant and widespread type of woodland in the National Park. Tree species naturally found in the Dales include ash, oak, downy birch, rowan and alder.
The Dales Woodland Restoration project will run for two years and aims to create 150 hectares of native broadleaved woodland. It is funded by English Nature's Countdown 2010 fund, and other partners including the Forestry Commission and the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority. Crucially though, half of the funding must come from our donors to match these grants.
98% of the area is privately owned. The project is firstly about persuading landowners to join in and provide suitable planting sites. They are then assisted with designing the new woodlands in a sympathetic manner, obtaining quotations from contractors, and then overseeing the planting. Landowners are tied into binding long-term maintenance agreements and we set up long-term monitoring and support for them.
For more information please contact the project team.
