Please see information from Forestry England below.
Overscourt Wood is a working woodland, managed by Forestry England to produce sustainable timber for the UK market. We are thinning the trees across several areas of Overscourt Wood. This means removing selected trees for timber products. This gives the remaining trees more space and light to grow to their full potential. Thinning also lets more light onto the forest floor, which improves the habitat for ground flora and the wildlife it supports.
Some of the trees we’re removing are showing signs of chalara ash dieback. These trees become brittle and can become dangerous if they drop branches or fall. Where we can, we keep deadwood in a woodland because it is an important habitat and part of the forest’s lifecycle. For safety, we remove trees with ash dieback in areas most used by people.
The most important thing for Forestry England is to keep the public, our staff, and contractors safe. The forest is still open to visit, but the car park will be closed for the duration of the work and there may be times when some access points will be closed so we can work safely. Please follow all signs and instructions at all times. These are for your safety, whether or not you can see or hear us working. This will help us to finish working as quickly as possible.
Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or refer queries from local residents to westengland@forestryengland.uk.
