Information on Coed Cefn Pwll Du (Caerphilly) felling work

Overview

 Update 20/03/23

Harvesting operations to remove Larch trees that were infected with Phytophthora ramorum (larch disease) from the woodland have now been completed.

Our Land Management team are currently working to remove diseased Ash Trees along the road sides and footpaths. Please follow any diversions or closure signs that are in place to ensure your safety and that of our contractors.

Find out more about our approach to tackling larch disease and Ash Dieback 

Watch our video about staying safe in our forests

Ground cultivation work to prepare the ground for planting will begin later this month.

Once the area has been prepped, it will be planted with a large number of oak seedlings as part of our planting programme,  following a high-density planting method.  

An operational trial on re-stocking the woodland by sowing oak acorns will be laid out in late March. The result of trial will help us to understand how to establish oak woodland with acorns rather than with nursery-seedlings.

Please help us to give the site the best chance of survival, by following any signage that may be in place and by keeping dogs and horses away from the dial plots.

Update 12/04/2022

Tree felling operations are taking place in order to comply with a Plant Health Notice issued on Larch trees within the woodland. The Larch has been infected with Phytophthora ramorum (larch Disease).

Our contractors are now nearing the end of their felling work in the area of woodland close to the southern car park.

Live harvesting sites are extremely dangerous so for your safety, and our workers, it’s important that you follow signs and diversions that are in place even if you can’t hear or see any activity.

To reduce disturbance to breeding birds, we are  closely monitoring and surveying the woodland for any signs of bird nests.

Safety

Please obey all prohibition signs within the woodland, it is for your own safety and that of our operators and be aware that timber wagons will be using the forest roads, Please step aside and let them past.

Replanting

NRW operates under sustainable woodland Management and is certified under the UK Woodland Assurance Scheme (UKWAS). 

All the areas which have been felled will be restocked.

This woodland is designated as a Plantation on an Ancient Woodland Site (PAWS).

It is Welsh Government's Policy to restore these sites and therefore the species chosen to restock these sites will be native broadleaves.

The restocking of the sites will be done through a combination of planting and natural regeneration. This will ensure the correct density across the site and also ensure the trees are well adapted to their environment, ensuring future resilience.

Proceeds from selling the timber

All income from timber sales goes towards the operating costs that we incur through managing the Welsh Government woodland estate. Our costs exceed the revenue generated by timber sales so we also receive additional financial support from Welsh Government. This enables us to continue to provide many free facilities throughout Wales for the benefit of local communities and visitors.

Nesting birds

Before work began we worked closely with a bird surveyor to thoroughly survey the site for any nesting birds. Any nests that are found will have an exclusion zone put around them and the teams will work around the area until the birds have finished breeding and vacated the nest.

• Read more about felling during bird nesting season