necessary to sow seed from nearby sites on the scraped areas to get it established. EFCC
have a licence to fell 30% of the trees on the heath and the local community have been
sent a copy of the management plan so that everyone is aware of the work to be done.
EFCC plan to leave the more mature Oaks fringing the site as a screen to the open glade
to be created in the middle. Felled trees are being left where they fall to provide dead
wood habitat for fungi and invertebrates.
Andy is currently working on getting the heath designated as a Local Nature Reserve
(LNR) to reflect its importance as a remnant heath and Essex rarity. It is hoped that one
day it may again prove a happy hunting ground for botanists, watch this space to find
out what happens!!
References
Smith, G. (2002) 1913-2001: a lifetime of difference. Essex Naturalist (N.S.) 19: 18-22.
Willmott, E.A. et al. (1913) Field meeting at Fyfield and Norton Heath. Essex Naturalist
17: 227.
Planning for Wildlife
Luke Bristow Wildlife Sites Officer, Abbotts Hall Farm, Gt. Wigborough,
Colchester, Essex C05 7RZ.
In response to the recent publication Local Sites Guidance on their Identification,
Selection and Management by the Governments Department for Environment, Food
and Rural Affairs, a number of changes have been made to the way the Local Wildlife
Site System in Essex operates to bring it in to line with the national guidance.
For the last two decades the system in Essex has largely been coordinated on an ad-hoc
basis by Essex Wildlife Trust. The original sites stemmed from a county-wide habitat
survey undertaken by the Trust between 1987 and 1994. In recent years some local
authorities have commissioned the Trust's consultancy, EECOS, to carry out reviews to
encompass newly discovered sites and generally bring the supporting information up-
to-date. In the late 90s, there was an attempt by English Nature to reinvigorate the system,
which eventually led to the publication of the current set of selection criteria by Adrian
Knowles; however the system remained largely unaltered.
Arguably the most significant change is the adoption of the term 'Local Wildlife Site' as
opposed to 'County Wildlife Site' or 'Site of Importance for Nature Conservation' the
names most commonly used in Essex. At a national level the plethora of names for 'non-
statutory' wildlife sites (e.g. Wildlife Heritage Sites, SNCI, Biological Sites of Interest,
and Biodiversity Sites) has not helped promote their value as s second tier of protection
for wildlife outside of legally protected areas (e.g. SSSI, SAC and SPA). The Defra
guidance seeks to address this situation, and while the term 'Local' is perhaps not the
strongest, the intention is a positive one and welcomed by the Trust.
Essex Field Club Newsletter No. 53, May 2007
15