NATURE CONSERVATION IN EPPING FOREST
by C. E. RANSON
Nature Conservancy Council, Centurion House, St John's Street, Colchester,
Essex.
THE NATURE CONSERVATION STATUS OF EPPING FOREST
The Epping Forest Act of 1878 made the Corporation of the City of London
Conservators of the Forest. The management of the Forest is vested in The
Epping Forest Committee.
Official recognition of the Forest as a place of national importance for
semi-natural vegetation came in 1931 when the National Parks Committee, one
of whose terms of reference was to consider what if any measures were needed to
conserve flora and fauna in National Parks, recorded evidence by the Ramblers
and Pedestrian Associations saying that Epping and Hainault Forests should
become National Parks. National Parks were then expected to be managed with
the preservation of flora and fauna as one of the objectives.
The biological status of Epping Forest was confirmed in 1947. It was one of
73 nationally important sites listed in the Report of the Wildlife Conservation
Special Committee presented to Parliament.
In 1949 the newly-formed Nature Conservancy adopted these sites as the
nucleus of a series of National Nature Reserves.
Much of the Forest north of the Ranger's Road was designated a Site of
Special Scientific Interest in 1953 in accordance with Section 23 of the National
Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949. Later, Hawk Wood and the
plain south of Ranger's Road were added. Further extensions are being con-
sidered.
In 1956, there was a formal exchange of letters between the Corporation
and the Nature Conservancy on the maintenance of the Forest's scientific and
nature conservation interest.
Following a country-wide survey of over 2000 outstanding sites in Great
Britain, the national importance of the Forest was reaffirmed by the Nature
Conservancy Council (Rateliffe 1977).
The Conservators are required to conserve wildlife. Sections of the Act
noted in 3.1 and 3.4 of this paper point to requirements which, if met, would
benefit wildlife.
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