Newborough Forest Resource Plan – Approved 17th January 2025

Location and setting

The Forest Resource Plan (FRP) covers 952 hectares of land between Newborough Warren, Malltraeth Estuary and the village of Newborough on Anglesey. As well as the forest, Natural Resources Wales’s responsibilities include the adjoining National Nature Reserve (NNR) of Newborough Warren, Newborough beach, the Braint and Cefni estuaries, the marine and fisheries interests, the Cob and Ynys Llanddwyn. Both the forest and NNR are part of the wider Abermenai to Aberffraw Dunes, and Anglesey Coast: Saltmarsh, Special Areas of Conservation.

Newborough forest and the surrounding area is a dynamic and complex landscape with a number of interacting ecosystems. As well as an internationally important area of conservation for Sand Dune habitats, the forest at Newborough provides a diverse habitat for wildlife such as Ravens and Red Squirrels. It also provides a unique setting and access to a range of social and recreational activities which benefit the local population and the many thousands of visitors to the site. When planning any future work at Newborough our aim is to balance people’s views and aspirations and be a good neighbour whilst taking in the site’s many interests and features in an ever-changing environment.

Not planning for the future at Newborough is not an option and we must have a plan to help manage the site. Natural processes are slowly changing the forest to a more broadleaf woodland from the east and eroding the conifer stands exposed to the coast from the west. As well as this natural change, climate change and sea level rise will also have an impact on the composition and distribution of the forest in the long term. The new plan will allow the natural processes to become more dominant across the whole site, whilst making the forest more resilient to these changes. A resilient forest is good not only for nature but for people and will help maintain an important recreational resource and special place for people to visit and its local community.

The new plan aims to establish more natural Dune Woodland near the coast which will allow more room for sand dune habitats by the sea. The Dune Woodland will also help to protect the mixed conifer forest behind. Inland, the mixed conifer forest will continue to be managed to promote a forest habitat suitable for red squirrel and to provide commercial crops, whilst also restoring conservation areas for important species such as Ravens, Great Crested Newts and Shore Dock. These changes will happen slowly, over a long period of time, which will help everyone adapt to the changes over time. Management decisions made in the FRP will be based on sound evidence and followed by regular monitoring to help guide future management and decisions made at the next FRP review.

Location Map

Newborough location map

Summary of objectives

The following management objectives have been agreed in order to maintain and enhance the resilience of ecosystems, and the benefits they provide:

Restore and maintain the SAC dune habitat interest features along the coast, to favourable condition in accordance with the conservation objectives. These include embryonic, shifting and fixed dunes, dunes with Salix repens and humid dune slacks habitats which support a diversity of rare flora and fauna. This will involve removing conifers from interest features and surrounding areas, to allow for more room for the sand dune system to develop over time and adapt to sea level rise resulting from climate change. There will also be more controlled grazing of open habitats to maintain these interest features.
Restore and maintain habitats through appropriate woodland management so that they support other SAC/SSSI interest features in the forest. These include Shore dock, Medicinal Leech, Great crested newt, and Raven roosts.
Manage areas around the UNESCO Pre-Cambrian rock ridge geo-park, an SSSI feature and a regionally important geological site. Expose and make accessible key geological features for research study and educational use along a newly proposed geological trail.
Maintain a diverse and permanent forest ecosystem that includes both mixed conifer and native woodland, suitable as red squirrel habitat (red list and UK BAP species), with more successional woodland, woodland glades and open habitats along forest roads and rides. The woodland ecosystem will continue to provide habitats for numerous bird species, mammals such as bats and owls, as well as invertebrates and a diverse range of associated flora.
Increase the quantity of deadwood in the forest, which supports a diverse biota within the forest ecosystem.
Manage Invasive Non-Native species (INNS) such as Cotoneaster, Montbretia and Black cherry.
Continue to use Low Impact Silvicultural Systems (LISS) and plan smaller felling coupes where possible, to help minimise the impact on water quality in the wider marine SAC area, by reducing the risk of sedimentation, peak flows, and acidification, as well as reducing the visual impacts in the forest landscape which is visited by hundreds of thousands of visitors every year.
Ensure compliance with the requirements of the Water Framework Directive Regulations 2017 when undertaking operational activities by following best practice as outlined in the ‘UK Forest Standard - Forest and Water Guidelines’ to protect water quality and freshwater ecosystems within the forest.
Improve the internal structure of the forest by developing age class diversity, varieties of tree size and mixtures of species where possible. This can be achieved by continuing forest management using low impact silvicultural systems. These may include small strip felling, group felling and continued thinning of conifer crops.
Maintain and reinstate canopy connectivity where possible for the benefit of red squirrel. Long term-retentions, Natural Reserves and delayed thinning in mature pine crops and new conifer planting in appropriate areas, will help achieve this.
Diversify the species composition of the forest by promoting a more diverse restocking strategy, which will include more varieties of broadleaves and natives as well as productive conifers. Scot’s pine, some fir species, hazel and beech are also suitable for red squirrel food provision.
Increase Coastal Dune Woodland in the forest. It has been chosen as a suitable site for this rare habitat as part of the UK Biodiversity Action Plan.
Continue to provide the extensive access and recreation provision to a unique forest landscape and coastal destination which is economically important as well as delivering well-being benefits for the visitors and communities of Newborough, Anglesey and North-West Wales.
Manage the forest accordingly to help provide open and least restrictive access and an interactive and fulfilling visitor experience whilst minimising the impacts of visitor numbers on the biology, heritage and landscape of the site.
Continue to provide access to a unique sporting event venue and film location.
Explore opportunities for new strategic and active travel links to the forest.
Consider the visual impact on visitors of forest management operations and long-term changes within the forest. A soft touch approach to forest management should be taken.
Protect all monuments and historical features when carrying out forest management operations. Additional consultation may be necessary in archaeologically sensitive areas identified by Gwynedd Archaeological Trust.
Improve the visual and sensory and landscape habitat value of the forest by increasing natives and diversifying the woodland.
Maintain woodland/forest cover as far as possible whilst meeting other objectives namely around SAC/SSSI interest features, management for Red Squirrel and recreation provision in Newborough forest.
Look for opportunities to create new woodland around the current forest and to compensate potential long-term losses due to sand dune habitat restoration.
Work co-productively with communities and stakeholders and delivery partners to help develop and deliver a sustainable long-term ‘People Plan’ for future site use, local economy, access and recreation for the forest and surrounding area.
Continue working in partnership with Llyn Parc Mawr community woodland group and allow for further management agreements which may cover a larger forest area.
Be a good neighbour.
Allow natural processes to become more dominant across the whole site.
Continue to provide access to this unique venue for education and a variety of research. Work with other research groups and partners to provide further evidence for the continuing sustainable management of the forest and all its ecosystems.
Continue commercial activity and management of the current mature Corsican pine crop. Ensure the future commercial viability of the forest, by restocking the next generation of mixed conifer crops in appropriate locations.

Maps

Comments or feedback

If you have any comments or feedback, you can contact the Forest Resource Planning team at frp@naturalresourceswales.gov.uk.

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