Yorkshire Dales Woodland Restoration Group

Summary
About the site
Carbon Buyers - Why buy from this project?
Landowners - Why get involved in the WCC?
Who is involved?
How we go about it
Wider benefits

Summary

Unique ID: 103000000000756
Status:  Verified - Year 5
Project Developer: Chris Lodge, Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust (YDMT)
Project Location: Yorkshire Dales National Park
Previous Land Use: Unimproved grassland with stock grazing
New woodland area: 30.1ha Planted in 5 small projects throughout the Dales
Species Mix: 28% Birch, 14% Ash, 12% Rowan, 9% Pine spp., 8% alder, 6% Oak, 7% other native broadleaves, 17% native shrubs.
Woodland Management: Minimum intervention
Estimated Sequestration: 15,160 tCO2e over 100 years
Start Date: Planting was carried out between 2007 and 2010

About the site

There are five sites in this group project, distributed across the Yorkshire Dales National Park. They range from Arkengarthdale in the northern dales, an area characterised by broad, sweeping fells and steep-sided valleys, to Wharfedale in the south with an intricate pattern of undulating hills, field boundaries and mixed woodland.

Carbon buyers - Why buy from this project?

Future carbon rights are still available from this project and will remain under the control of YDMT until sold as and when they have been verified, providing a lasting future income stream for landowners. Details of the carbon units allocated to each site are kept on the Markit Registry and this will be updated when units are sold.

TownEndFarm Copyright YDMTTown End Farm, Bolton Abbey, reinforcing the pattern of  existing woodlands in Wharfedale.  Picture:  YDMT

Landowners - Why get involved in the WCC?

One of the major objectives of the Dales Woodland Strategy is the creation of new native woodland in the Yorkshire Dales. Currently, only 2.5% of the National Park is covered with native broadleaf trees compared with the national average of 8%. The long term aim is to almost double the amount of broadleaf cover in the National Park to 5000 hectares by 2020.

The Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust is working with local landowners, the National Park Authority and other interested parties to help achieve these goals and the creation of this group scheme forms part of their strategy. It is hoped that income through the sale of carbon that will facilitate further increases in the amount of native broadleaf tree cover.

Chris Lodge, YDMT Woodland Restoration Project Officer, said: "We know that many businesses and individuals want to reduce their impact on the environment caused by greenhouse gas emissions and planting trees is one of the very best ways to do this. The Woodland Carbon Code now delivers standards of best practice for UK woodland creation projects that provides reassurance to potential carbon buyers who want to invest in accredited woodland projects whilst benefiting the landscape, wildlife and people who enjoy visiting woodlands. WCC certified woodlands will be sustainably managed and can demonstrate reliable estimates of the amount of carbon that will be captured over time and for farmers this could provide a very welcome source of additional income that did not exist previously."

NethergillFarm Copyright YDMTA newly mounded and planted site at Nethergill, Oughtershaw, ensuring future shelter and woodland habitat in a sparsely wooded area of the Dales.  Picture:  YDMT

Who is involved?

The new woodlands are being planted on a number of farms and other landholdings around the park.   Individual landowners will be responsible for the management of their respective projects. They will have support from staff at the Trees and Woodland section in Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority. Woodland Officers from the Forestry Commission and Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust will also offer support and advise as required. The YDMT Woodland Officer and National Park volunteers will periodically check on the condition of each wood.

How did we go about it?

The individual planting projects in the scheme are project managed by YDMT, who support landowners throughout the process of woodland creation. This includes site assessments, grant application, planning, obtaining quotations from contractors, and then overseeing the planting.
As part of the grant application process, all projects are published on the EWGS public register for 21 days to give interested parties the opportunity to comment on the proposals. No adverse comments have been received for any of the projects in the group. As part of the YDMT conditions of grant, relevant parish councils were consulted and letters of support provided.

Storthwaite Copyright YDMTStorthwaite, in the northern Dales, new planting in an area of low tree cover.  Picture:  YDMT

What are the wider benefits?

Scores (out of 5) for Yorkshire Dales Woodland Restoration Group. Scores calculated using the WCC Woodland Benefits Tool. 

Yorkshire Dales Woodland Restoration WBT Score

Wider Landscape

All projects have been designed to enhance the landscape.

 

Biodiversity

All five projects have unplanted areas creating glades and rides to encourage the growth of ground flora. The new woodlands will restore woodland habitat in sparsely wooded dales, increase connectivity between existing woodlands, and Lamberts Wood will expand the habitat suitable to dormice and support a recent successful reintroduction programme of this iconic species.

LambertsWood Copyright YDMT

Lamberts Wood, linking and extending existing dormouse habitats.  Picture:  YDMT 

Water

The increased tree cover provided by the new woodlands will slow the rate of rainfall reaching the ground, aiding water quality and reducing run off.

 

Community

All projects can either be seen from public rights of way or have footpaths next to or through them.

 

Economy

There will be minimal felling and coppicing and any cut timber will remain on site for the biodiversity benefit it provides.

 

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