Section 7 (3)
The Conservators' duty "at all times as far as possible to preserve the
natural aspect of the Forest" is one almost incapable of being discharged. The
Act, perhaps unwisely, was silent on what was meant by 'the natural aspect'
though the drafter clearly thought there was one to be preserved. By contrast,
the Conservators "shall protect the timber and other trees, pollards, shrubs,
underwood, heather, gorse, turf and herbage growing on the Forest". In
pursuing the natural aspect, the Conservators have removed a vast number of
pollards and neglected most of the rest, thus suppressing shrubs and
eliminating underwood (coppice). Heather, gorse and herbage are sparser and
less diverse than formerly. Section 7 (3) of the Act seems to have been
overlooked, despite its mandatory tone, and much of the decline in wildlife can
be traced back to neglect of this duty. The one major exception to this
generalisation is the re-pollarding of a small grove of hornbeam and oak in
Woodman's Glade, Bury Wood in 1948 and again in 1954.
Section 9
Usage of Epping Forest by the public has had some adverse effects, mainly
in disturbance and in the creation of facilities for them (e.g. horse-rides) but
they could have been lessened by more active management of the groves of trees
and pollards. Doubtless there would have been more fires, but their effect would
have been less destructive than that produced by dense canopy.
Section 33
(i)

This power has been used with excellent effects on nature conservation:
however, it is confined to c. 5 acres and needs to be extended (see Section 36 and
Table 9).
(ii)
In the absence of any work to restore open water in the old gravel pits (e.g.
by the Wake Arms), new pits could be dug to revive this habitat (see Section 33
(v)).
(v)
This Section has been used throughout the Forest: its effects have been
variable, but it should be employed only with the advice of the Epping Forest
Conservation Centre since the wetlands (ponds, streams, bog and marshy
ground) are the most sensitive of all its habitats. Some species still extant in
Epping Forest are now scarce or even rare both locally and nationally.
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