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Release Date: 17/09/02 Issued by: Sussex Downs Conservation Board For more information contact: | |
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Paul Bruce pbruce@southdowns-aonb.gov.uk |
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Today, Lt. Col. Tex Pemberton OBE, Member of the Sussex Downs Conservation Board and West Sussex County Councillor for Fernhurst, launched the new Sussex Wealden Greensand Heaths Project2 at the National Trust property of Woolbeding Common. The five-year lottery supported partnership project, led by the Sussex Downs Conservation Board, has over £750,000 to help conserve and restore heathland in West Sussex. Despite being an important part of our natural heritage, more than 80% of the heathland in West Sussex has been lost in the last two hundred years. The new project will help to restore lost heathlands to their former glory whilst conserving existing areas. A special feature of the project will be the creation of the Serpent Trail, a new long distance walking trail that will snake its way in a forty mile ‘S' shape through the spectacular woodland and heathland scenery of the project area. The project area is in countryside to the north of the county around places such as Haslemere, Midhurst, Petworth and Petersfield. Paul Bruce, the newly appointed Project Manager, said: “Heathland is an internationally important habitat as it supports rare wildlife such as nightjars, Dartford warblers, smooth snakes, and silver-studded blue butterflies. Heather is its most characteristic plant and it develops on sandy soils where nutrients are lost quickly through the soil in open areas. It has survived on many of our commons, which were maintained by human activities such as livestock grazing. Local heaths, including those at Iping, Stedham, Ambersham and Woolbeding Commons, are at their most picturesque right now as the heather is in full flower.” The project is a five-year partnership between DEFRA (the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs), English Nature, the National Trust, the Sussex Downs Conservation Board and West Sussex County Council. It is financially supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund through English Nature's national umbrella project; Tomorrow's Heathland Heritage.
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Notes to Editor 1. A photocall with representatives from all the partners will take place on the launch day of Tuesday 17 September at 3.30 pm on Woolbeding Common. For more details contact Paul Bruce, Project Manager, on 01730 812134, pbruce@southdowns-aonb.gov.uk 2. The work of the project will be co-ordinated by a team of three: Paul Bruce, Project Manager; Rob Free, Project Officer; and Tracey Younghusband, Project Ranger. Telephone 01730 812134 or fax 01730 813114. 3. The South Downs Virtual Information Centre can be found at www.vic.org.uk 4. The Board aims to protect, conserve and enhance the natural beauty of the Sussex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). The AONB covers almost 400 square miles (1,000 square km) and 1,364 miles (2,200 km) of rights of way, stretching from the Hampshire border to Eastbourne. It aims to encourage people's quiet enjoyment of the area and to promote sustained economic and social development. 5. The Chairman of the Sussex Downs Conservation Board is Lord Renton, the Sussex Downs Officer Martin Beaton is the Chief Officer, with Countryside Manager Phil Belden his deputy. 6. The Tomorrow's Heathland Heritage initiative, led by English Nature and supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund and a consortium of other partners, is making great strides towards the national Lowland Heathland Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) targets of restoring 58,000 hectares and re-creating a further 6,000 hectares. The Sussex Wealden Greensand Heaths Project will make a substantial contribution to these targets. This in turn contributes to the overall UK Biodiversity Action Plan (initiated at the last Earth Summit, in Rio 1992), which is geared to maintaining and creating a landscape that benefits people and wildlife. For further information visit the Tomorrow's Heathland Heritage web site: www.english-nature.org.uk/thh/ |
