Current as at May 2009

There is no large scale harvesting in the valley at the moment.

Future Work

Future work is planned in the valley over the next year or so dependant upon the timber markets picking up. The aim of the harvesting work is to deliver the objectives set out in the Wild Ennerdale Stewardship Plan .

Work has started to remove an area of spruce oposite Blacksail YHA to further open the valley bottom and mires. Lastly the forest between Bowness Knott and Gillerthwaite will be thinned removing the trees marked with paint at about 1.3m high. Trees

marked with paint at the base and unmarked trees will be left standing. The thinning is aimed at giving the predominantly broadleaf regeneration more light and room to grow.

The harvesting work will require the diversion of a number of rights of way but a route up the valley will always be maintained. In addition harvesting around Bowness Knott and along the lakeshore will avoid Bank and School Holidays . The route from Bowness Knott to Gillerthwaite will not be closed but will be marshalled when operations do start.

This will be the last period of significant clear felling in the valley east of Bowness Knott. In the future the forest will be managed through thinning alone with only small occasional clear felling to remove further harsh boundaries and conifer growing on important habitats.

On Completion of all the harvesting the clear felled areas will be allowed to regenerate naturally with a mix of trees and more open habitats likely to develop. Spruce regeneration will be controlled by cutting when the young trees reach around 2 to 3m tall or by pulling when very young . More juniper and native broadleaves will be planted at the east end of the valley. Over the winter of 2008/9 we are planting around 12,000 Downy birch which will add to the 7,000 Juniper and 28,000 birch and oak already planted during 2006 and 2007 by National Trust, Forestry Commission and volunteers teams.

Please accept my apologies for any inconvenience that this work causes. I hope you will look forward to the benefits this work brings in further allowing the valley to develop as a wilder place where natural processes shape the future look and feel of the landscape. Should you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact Gareth Browning on 0771 2751060 or by email.