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| Ground-nesting birds like the skylark cannot survive among bracken. Picture courtesy English Nature |
Fight to protect wonderful rare species continues
The battle to protect some of Staffordshire's rarest and most beautiful wildlife will be stepped up again shortly.
In the next few weeks work will be carried out across Cannock Chase heathland to control bracken, a native but highly invasive fern that rapidly smothers other typical heathland plants.
Efforts by countryside managers has seen bracken almost halved in heathland areas over the last few years.
But there is still a lot to do to reverse the damage caused by 100 years without management. This allowed bracken to develop a deep-seated infestation which today makes it difficult to control without a sustained attack. The alternative is a sea of bracken with little or no wildlife interest remaining.
This autumn, bracken control with small motorised vehicles, boom and hand sprayers will be targeting larger patches and scattered bracken across the Country Park. Areas will be temporarily closed to access to avoid unnecessary concern or accidents involving vehicles.
A herbicide that targets bracken and is safe to use in sensitive wildlife sites where people visit will be used. All the required consents are obtained, including from English Nature, the body that advises the Government on issues relating to nature conservation.
John Wakefield, Staffordshire County Council's Cabinet Member for Development Services said: "Traditional methods of controlling bracken ceased around the beginning of the 20th century. This allowed almost 100 years of creeping bracken invasion which we have since worked exceptionally hard to try and halt.
"Inevitably this can cause some minor inconvenience to people who love to use the Chase. Unfortunately the alternative is environmentally unthinkable, and we would therefore like to thank everyone for their co-operation and understanding over the next few weeks. We promise disruption will be kept to an absolute minimum."
"This is one case where we cannot afford to 'leave it to nature' since the nature of many of our much-loved landscapes is the product of human intervention over many centuries".
Graham Walker, English Nature's Conservation Officer for Staffordshire said: "Cannock Chase is one of the most wonderful areas of heathland in England, however, it is a constant battle to stop bracken taking over and smothering the heather.
"Without the regular spraying we'd lose the magical nocturnal churring of the nightjar, rare woodlarks, and the soaring skylarks as well as heathland butterflies and reptiles. Cannock Chase is one of their last strongholds so it's vital this management takes place to conserve these fantastic creatures for our grandchildren to enjoy."
Page Last Modified:
30/01/2007 16:05:47
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