12 months on from Storm Arwen, which saw winds of up to almost 100mph cutting off roads and power, Forestry England is looking ahead and planning forests for the future.
Winter storms are regular visitors to northern England, with the Forestry England team prepared to deal with fallen branches and trees each year. Storm Arwen, which hit the UK mainland on 26 and 27 November brought significant regional damage due to much stronger winds unusually coming from the northeast rather than the south-west.
Forestry England staff were on the ground as soon as it was safe, experiencing first-hand the realities of the damage to the environment, infrastructure and local communities. As soon as the storm passed, they carefully and quickly identified and prioritised the recovery effort, working with emergency services, energy providers and more to reopen roads, restore power and offer assistance to vulnerable residents cut off by the storm.
Large areas of the nation’s forests were damaged in Northumberland, Cumbria and Gateshead, with popular areas and trails closed for public safety as Forestry England began restoration works. A year later, much has reopened but work remains, not only to fully reopen areas but also to plan and create resilient forests as climate change increases the likelihood of further intensive storms.
A recent £700,000 grant from Government to Forestry England will accelerate plans to restore and enhance the accessibility of storm damaged walking and cycling trails in and around Kielder Forest and Rothbury in Northumberland, and Grizedale Forest in Cumbria.
“It’s taken a lot of work to respond, assess, recover and rebuild from Storm Arwen” says Kevin May, Forest Management Director for Forestry England’s North District. “I’d like to thank the whole team for their hard work and dedication, as well as local communities for their patience as we continue to prioritise and reopen areas.
In particular I would like to thank colleagues for their immediate responses in supporting access to properties and restoring power supplies. Many colleagues were themselves without power for several weeks following the storm, but everyone acted safely, calmly and professionally despite these challenges.
“There is still work to do but it’s been fantastic to see iconic locations such as the Lakeside Way at Kielder and the Simonside hills open for the public to enjoy once again and with substantial new Government funding from we’re able to further improve access to and within the nation’s forests.”
Staff and contractors working for Forestry England’s North District are approximately halfway through clearing multiple windblow sites across North Forest District, with a conservative estimate of around 1,000,000 trees felled by the storm. With the relatively easy-to-clear areas complete, work is now turning the more challenging sites, where roads and infrastructure are unsuitable for timber machinery and haulage.
Beyond the long-term recovery, Storm Arwen has continued to cause further challenges. An August wildfire in Redesdale, Northumberland, was complicated due to windblown trees affecting access and providing additional fuel for the blaze. Despite these obstacles, a multi-agency response, led by Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service successfully contained and doused the fire.
“We can’t predict when or how hard future storms will hit” continues Kevin May, “but we can prepare for a changing climate to reduce the impact on communities and infrastructure as much as possible. We’re evolving the nation’s forests long-term to ensure they’re as resilient as possible by providing a mosaic of habitats and planting a varied selection of trees, not only to better cope with our changing climate but also to mitigate against potential new pests and diseases as well as provide healthy habitats for wildlife.
“Modern, diverse forests are healthy, productive and resilient forests, and by encouraging a “nature first” approach as much as possible, we’re ready for whatever challenges come next.”
