Trees and woodlands
The Trees and Woodland Team deals with all aspects of trees and woodlands within the Yorkshire Dales National Park.
Firstly, the Team deals with maintaining, improving and increasing the trees and woodlands found within the National Park area. The Authority is guided by the Dales Woodland Strategy. This strategy has been put together by the Dales Woodland Forum, a group of people who all have an interest in trees and woodlands within the Dales and who regularly meet to discuss issues.
The Dales Woodland Strategy is being reviewed in 2005 and a new strategy will be published next year. One of our aspirations since 1995 has been to double the amount of broadleaved and mixed woodland by 2020. At present the total amount of woodland within the National Park stands at about 3.5% of the land cover. This is 2% conifers and 1.5% broadleaved woodland.
By 2020 we hope to have increase this overall cover to 5%. This will be by creating new broadleaved and mixed woodland plantations, ideally next to existing woodlands where the overall size of the woodland can be extended. The present average size of a woodland is about 2ha and this needs to be increased wherever possible. The existing woodland also needs to be protected. The small amount of woodland means that it is important within the landscape and individual Dales can have their own unique woodland pattern.
These woodlands also provide important areas for shelter and nature conservation. In Yorkshire the only place that the important Upland Ash woodlands (a nationally important habitat action plan) are found is within the Yorkshire Dales National Park. For more information on the nature conservation importance of woodlands in the Dales follow this link to the Nature in the Dales pages.
Secondly, the Team deals with protected trees as well as trees connected to planning applications. The way that this happens is explained in the Protected Trees section of this website.
Contact Details
Trees and Woodland Team
Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority
Colvend
Grassington
Skipton
North Yorkshire
BD23 5LB
0870 1 666333
