Forestry England- Haldon Forest
Haldon Forest is such an important part of the connectivity to join Devon Wildland’s core sites. We are delighted that Forestry England at Haldon Forest park are keen to work collaboratively, to connect the mosaic of habitats and join us to create Devon Wildland. Whilst most people are familiar with the main accessible visitor walking trails and mountain biking, Haldon is also home to huge areas of heathland and some important habitats for rare species of wildlife. With ever increasing visitor numbers keen to experience the joys of being in the forest, human/wildlife impacts are keenly felt and carefully managed.

Here is some information about Haldon Forest from the 'Forestry Commission management plan 2018-2028'. One of the key statements in this document is their commitment to implement and maintain an environmental corridor system. Therefore by collaborating with other landowners across the ridge and creating the Devon Wildland together to allow wildlife more space to move freely and thrive, we are also contributing to Forestry England achieving this aim.
 
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"The Haldon Forest area is made up of the one large forest block along the Haldon ridge with a number of outliers surrounding it including Great Plantation, Powderham, Whaddon Brake and Ideford. The Plan area contains three SSSIs, the greatest of which is the Haldon Forest SSSI and is the equivalent to 53% of the Plan area. The SSSI is designated for its dwarf heathland, raptor and lepidotera assemblages and nightjar. As a prominent feature along a ridge within the distinctive lowland setting within easy distance of Exeter, the Plan Area has a very high natural, recreation and landscape diversity and value.

The public forest here is predominantly conifer having been planted after the First World War to address the national timber shortage. Now large areas of restored lowland heathland, rotational forestry and the creation of felled sites support a nationally significant population of nightjar and rare butterflies. 

The core aim of the Plan is to deliver the 50 Year Vision by producing woodlands with increased conservation, recreation and landscape benefits whilst maintaining a viable timber output. The long term aim of management is to continue to sustainably produce timber whilst providing a forest rich in wildlife, attractive to people and increasingly resilient to climate, pests and diseases. The social, economic and environmental objectives of management are:

• The continued production of sustainable and marketable woodland products

• The protection and enhancement of woodland and open habitats and their associated species. - The creation and maintenance of permanent and transient open habitats. - The restoration and management of the Site of Special Scientific Interest.

• The provision and maintenance of recreation facilities. - Support the development of
increased and sensitively managed recreation provision. - Improve stand resilience around recreation infrastructure.

• The delivery of well-designed proposals that comply with landscape design principles in keeping with the local landscape character.

• The conservation, maintenance and enhancement of cultural and heritage assets."