Site Event/Activity record ESF26209 - Environmental Impact Assessment - Dunwich Forest Design Plan

Forest Enterpries is required to produce an Environmental Statement by the Forestry Commission, to assess the possible environmental effects of the Dunwich Forest Design Plan. This is a long-term plan that shows how, over the next 30 years, Forest Enterprise wants to change the existing forest from conifer plantation to a mixture of broadleaved woodland and heathland. In the first 5 years, Forest Enterprise wants to fell 36.7 ha of conifers and revert the area back to heathland. As these areas are not being re-planted this is termed deforestation, which is one of the operations that is not permitted (on more than 0.5ha) within an AONB without an approved Environmental Statement. Four keye issues were identified during the scoping exercise for this EIA: Archaeology, landscape, soil disturbance and treatment of sites after felling. A subsequent site meeting with SCCAS lead to archaeology being "scoped out" on the basis that there are no archaeological features to be taken into consideration (S1).