Mathrafal Forest Resource Plan – Approved 4 July 2024
Location Map
Prioritised objectives
Objective 1: Ancient woodland restoration
Continue to identify and restore ancient woodland features and areas of conservation interest, increasing broadleaf woodland across the FRP area.
WGWE Key priorities 2, 4 & 5; Area Statement theme “Improving biodiversity”
Objective 2: Forest resilience
Continue to broaden the range of age-classes and tree species within the woodlands, using Low Impact Silvicultural Systems, and avoiding clearfells where feasible. Natural regeneration can be used in suitable areas, and supplemented with carefully selected restocking or enrichment planting to improve the species range. Diverse forests are more robust and resilient to the pressures associated with climate change. Regular thinning should be used to improve tree stability and maximise opportunities for improving resilience and achieving the other objectives.
WGWE Key priorities 2 & 3; Area Statement themes “Forestry resources”, “Climate change” and “Sustainable land, water and air”.
Objective 3: Improve habitat quality
Take action where necessary to deal with threats to ecological functioning of woodlands, and improve the quality of native woodland areas. Improve habitat networks by linking areas of ancient / native woodland, and take account of habitat elements (e.g. woodlands, hedgerows, rivers) outside the woodland. Allow the development of successional woodland, minimising interventions where appropriate to achieve conservation goals. Forest management should be mindful of valuable conservation sites beyond the forest boundary. Where possible, improve habitat quality and connectivity for priority species, for example pearl-bordered fritillaries in Figyn wood. At the time of writing NRW is developing improved procedures for the management of Nature networks, which may be implemented in this area in due course.
WGWE Key priorities 2, 3, 4 & 5; Area Statement themes “Forestry resources”, “Improving biodiversity”.
Objective 4: Woodlands for people
Maintain and where possible improve the experience of visitors to the woodland, providing a safe, enjoyable and varied woodland environment. The woodlands should be beneficial to the health and well-being of local people and welcoming to visitors from further afield. The woodlands will be incorporated into the National Forest for Wales network over the next few years.
WGWE Key priorities 7 & 8; Area Statement themes “Forestry resources”, “Reconnecting people and places”.
Objective 5: Sustainable timber production
Maintain a sustainable yield of timber from thinnings, interventions in Low Impact Silvicultural Systems, and (where necessary) clearfells. Natural regeneration and restocking should be managed to ensure replenishment of the tree stock, while taking opportunities to broaden species and structural diversity. Woodland management shall comply with the UK Forestry Standard.
WGWE Key priorities 2, 3 & 9; Area Statement themes “Forestry resources”, “Sustainable land, water and air”.
Objective 6: Enhance the landscape
Gradually modify the woodlands to improve landscape amenity: in combination with the use of LISS and diversification (described in the objectives above), this entails slowly reducing hard / artificial breaks in the landscape, encouraging mixed woodland at boundaries and taking account of neighbouring features. Avoid clearfelling where possible, and where clearfelling is necessary, restock in a landscape-sensitive manner.
WGWE Key priorities 3, 5, 7 & 8; Area Statement themes “Sustainable land, water and air”, “Reconnecting people and places”, “Forestry resources”.
Objective 7: Protect the historic environment
Identify and protect important heritage and archaeological features, including the historic natural environment.
WGWE Key priorities 5, 7 & 8; Area Statement themes “Forestry resources”, “Sustainable land, water and air”.
Other actions needed to deliver the forest resource plan
Actions for Forest Operations team
- Maintain a robust system for assessing and implementing regular and timely thinnings in viable crops, to ensure maximum flexibility for future management.
- Utilise Continuous Cover / Low Impact Silvicultural Systems in areas specified on Map 2 (Forest Management Systems), minimising the extent of felling areas (including moderating small-coupe felling) wherever possible to minimise landscape impacts.
- Where viable, explore options for increasing the diversity of species on site appropriate to the site type and objectives, during the development of restocking / enrichment planting specifications.
- Liaise with Land Management team to ensure appropriate management for pearl-bordered fritillaries in Figyn Wood (see Appendix 4).
- Work with Land Management team to support protection of Scheduled Monuments, notably in Ffridd Mathrafal, ensuring that they are protected during works and where necessary tree removal is carefully carried out.
- Adhere to agreed operation methodologies in areas with known conservation constraints, notably the operation timing constraint at Broniarth (near a bat roost):
- No harvesting operations to take place in Broniarth block between May-August (inclusive). See HRA forms (on DMS) for further details.
Actions for Integrated Engineering team
- Ensure forest roads are well-serviced and maintained so that operations can be safely implemented.
Actions for Land Management team
- Evaluate condition of Scheduled Monuments within the forest area, and where necessary undertake work to ensure they are maintained in suitable condition and protected from damage (notably from encroaching vegetation). Undertake management and monitoring in collaboration with Cadw.
- Liaise with Forest Operations team to ensure appropriate management for pearl-bordered fritillaries in Figyn Wood (see Appendix 4). Also collaborate with Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust where appropriate to improve habitat quality in this area.
- Maintain and where possible improve condition of public rights of way and related infrastructure.
- Assist the forest operations teams with planning to ensure that all known sensitive features are given appropriate protection during operations, and that impacts on local people are minimised.
Maps
Long term vision map
Forest management types map
Indicative forest types & restocking map