THE RESTORATION OF ATLANTIC OAKWOODS
Within this plan UK-wide Habitat Action Plans are being produced to
secure the future of rare and endangered habitats. The UK's Upland
Oakwoods, totalling over 70 000 hectares, are the subject of a Habitat
Action Plan which was approved by the Government in 1996 and wide
partnerships between landowners, businesses and government agencies
are being developed to secure their conservation and expansion.
The largest and highest quality examples of these Atlantic Oakwoods
are in the process of being designated Special Areas of Conservation.
Once designation is completed they will become part of a European
Union wide network of high quality conservation sites called Natura
2000. The term Natura 2000, which comes from the Habitats Directive,
symbolises the conservation of precious natural resources for the year
2000 and beyond.
In 1994 the Government published the UK Biodiversity Action Plan,
which aims to conserve and restore UK biological diversity.
Our Atlantic Oakwoods form a high quality "top tier" of our
overall upland oakwood resource and have been identified as a habitat
of community importance in the EC Habitats Directive.