Trust says nuts to squirrel plan

Dec 13 2008 by Tony Henderson, The Journal

WILDLIFE experts have joined the debate over the fate of 70 red squirrels living in a forest which may get the chop.

The Journal reported last month on plans by Lilburn Estate to fell the entire 568-hectare Threestoneburn conifer forest in the Cheviot Hills near Wooler.

The Forestry Commission will decide early next year on the bid, which would see important habitats such as blanket bog in the area increased from 64 hectares to 296, grassland from 12 hectares to 57, heathland from 60 hectares to 292 and native woodland from two hectares to 67.

The felling and habitat restoration has been described as the greatest opportunity for positive landscape change in Northumberland National Park since its designation in 1956.

Although it is admitted that red squirrels would be adversely affected by the clearance, a report by a Newcastle University expert said that if the forest remained, any restructuring would mean a period with no trees of seed-bearing age which would force the squirrels to migrate.

That would leave the options of allowing natural emigration of the animals, or capture for a breeding programme or relocation.

But Northumberland Wildlife Trust (NWT) has objected to the felling proposal after the issue was considered by conservation staff and the trust’s Conservation Advisory Group.

Trust head of conservation Steve Lowe said: “Under normal circumstances, it is felt that Northumberland Wildlife Trust would probably support the proposal in principle.

“We can see that, properly implemented, it would lead to landscape scale benefits including the restoration or recreation of upland habitats.

“However, we consider that this potential is outweighed by the forest’s important red squirrel population and the proposal, as it stands, does not address this issue.

“Notwithstanding that the population may decline over time anyway and the forest would need to be restructured for them to thrive, it was considered unacceptable for NWT to support a project where red squirrels will suffer in considerable numbers in the short term.”