About

The Roudham Forest Plan covers 460 hectares of Thetford forest, on the eastern edge of Breckland in Norfolk. The area covered by this plan is part of the nation's forests and most is open access land.

Thetford forest is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) for a range of Breckland wildlife and habitats and a Special Protection Area (SPA) for Woodlark and Nightjar, which are ground nesting birds.

Most of Roudham Forest is planted pine which is sustainably managed for timber through a cycle of clearfelling and replanting, providing habitat for the ground nesting birds in the process.

Objectives

Our aim is to maintain a steady supply of both timber and open habitat into the future, while increasing the variety of tree species.

The objectives of management here are:

Environmental

•Provide an even distribution of felled area and maintain the minimum area in cyclic clearfell required under the SPA designation

•Implement the Thetford Open Habitat Plan through the network of rides in the forest

Social

•Protect sensitive heritage features and maintain a pleasant woodland environment

•Size and shape felling coupes to fit into the landscape

Economic

•Smooth production from crops in cyclic clearfell

•Increase species diversity and resilience to climate change, pests and disease

What we'll do

The plan outlines long term management proposals, including felling and restocking, with felling licence approval for operations up until 2024.

Ongoing thinning and selective felling operations will be carried out in the plan area at five to ten year intervals.  The areas of clearfelling, restocking and open space creation planned for the ten years to 2024 are summarised below.

Clearfelling of 36ha of conifers. Restocking of 32ha of conifers and 4ha of broadleaves.

The species composition will also change from 77% conifer, 8% broadleaf, 5% open space and 10% felled area in 2014 to 79% conifer, 9% broadleaf, 5% open space and 7% felled area in 2024.