Ffestiniog Forest Resource Plan

Location and Setting

The Ffestiniog Forest Resource Plan (FRP) includes the main forest blocks of Hafod Fawr, Coed Pengwern and Rhyd -y-Sarn. These woodlands collectively have a total area of 495ha and have a mixture of conifer and broadleaved tree species.

The forest blocks are situated within the county council boundary of Gwynedd and in the heart of the Snowdonia National Park near the village of Ffestiniog. Hafod Fawr is located to the south-east of Ffestiniog and the Coed Pengwern and Rhyd-y-Sarn blocks to the north-west of Ffestiniog on both sides of the A496.

Opportunities and priorities

Removal of larch and diversify the forest species composition to increase resilience to pests and diseases whilst building a robust forest for future generations.
Increase structural diversity through the introduction of long term retention and Continuous Cover Forestry.
Continue to maintain a sustainable supply of timber production through the design of felling and restock species choice.
Increase successional /riparian woodland areas for the improvement of habitat resilience and landscape scale habitat linkages.
Identify and protect important environmental and heritage features.
Enhance the visitor experience by the maintenance of existing public access and taking opportunities to break up the forests’ conifer edges over time.

Summary of the main changes that will occur in the forest

All larch trees will be removed from the woodlands (10ha) for the management of the threat from Phytophthora ramorum disease.
Higher conservation value areas will be enhanced through management and expansion of the riparian zones, native broadleaved and successional woodland (204ha).
There will be an increase of areas allocated to long term retention and minimum intervention (67ha).
Ancient woodland sites (170ha) will be restored through the removal of conifer and the creation of native broadleaf habitat.
One hundred hectares of open habitat will be created which will enable habitat corridors with the surrounding landscape.
The conifer edges will be softened to lessen their visual impact on the landscape.
There will be a decrease of Sitka spruce and an increase of other species of conifer and broadleaves in order to increase the woodlands resilience to pests and diseases.
We aim to manage 41 ha of conifer using Low Impact Silviculture Systems management.