Ceri Forest Resource Plan 2026
Overview
Gweld y dudalen hon yn Gymraeg
Natural Resources Wales is responsible for the sustainable management of the publicly owned woodlands and forests of Wales. They are managed for the benefit and well-being of the people who visit them and depend on them for their livelihood. This responsibility includes improving their biodiversity and long-term resilience to climate change so that future generations will also be able to enjoy the benefits they provide. Every ten years Natural Resources Wales reviews the long-term management plans for each forest area. These are compiled in a new Forest Resource Plan.
Location and setting
Ceri Forest comprises a large main block (Sarn Hills) with a number of smaller woodlands in the surrounding area. The forest is located on the Wales - England border near the village of Ceri, with the main forest spanning the Ceri ridgeway. This forest plan also includes Coed Gilfach (close to Ceri village), Fron Derw, Gyffeni, Masons Bank, Badger Moor, Bettws Plantation, Cefn Fron, Blockwood and New Pool. The forest areas on the English side of the border are within the Shropshire Hills National Landscape, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
The tree species composition is largely coniferous, with elements of broadleaves in areas which have been felled and replanted. The total plan area is 1009 hectares.
Parts of the area had been planted with exotic conifers by the Brynllywarch Estate in the late nineteenth century, prior to acquisition by the Forestry Commission in the mid twentieth century; the earlier plantation stands were largely felled during the two world wars due to shortage of timber. Apart from the Ancient Woodland sites, which extend to 129 hectares, most of the area would have been moor and heathland with rough grazing before the conifer plantations were established.
Large parts of Ceri forest are on steep ground in a very exposed position, and are susceptible to severe damage in storms. This makes management more challenging and has resulted in some large clearfells to clear up storm damage.
This FRP aims to continue the restoration of Plantation on Ancient Woodland Sites (PAWS) to predominantly native woodland, and in all areas of the forest to increase the broadleaf element by focusing on enhancing riparian zones, buffering ancient woodland areas and providing habitat linkages. Timber production will be focused on the larger plantations where there is less important habitat. Low Impact Silvicultural Systems will be applied in appropriate areas. Opportunities will be taken to diversify the range of tree species, providing greater resilience to the impacts of climate change.
Overview map
Objectives
Some are applied to specific areas, but where not otherwise stated, objectives apply through the forests.
General forestry practice
- All forestry operations will follow the UK Forestry Standard, industry guidance and best practice.
- We will work to ensure that Ceri Forest continues to produce a sustainable yield of timber, utilising thinnings, Low Impact Silvicultural Systems and clearfell / restock.
- Natural regeneration and restocking will be managed to ensure replenishment of the tree stock, while taking opportunities to broaden species and structural diversity.
- Forest productive potential should be maintained, and enhanced where possible, noting that this term includes provision of other ecosystem services as well as timber production.
- Forestry operations will be utilised to deliver wider environmental improvements in the forest.
Forests and biodiversity
- Improve habitat networks by linking areas of ancient / native woodland, and take account of habitat elements (e.g. woodlands, hedgerows, rivers) outside the woodland.
- Take action where necessary to deal with threats to ecological functioning of woodlands, and improve the quality of native woodland areas
- Allow the development of successional woodland, minimising interventions where appropriate to achieve conservation goals.
- Forest management should be mindful of valuable conservation sites beyond the forest boundary. Where possible, improve habitat quality and connectivity for priority species.
- NRW will continue to work positively with the local Wildlife Trust to support habitat improvement, particularly in relation toMasons Bank and Upper Shortditch.
- Continue to identify and restore ancient woodland features and areas of conservation interest, increasing broadleaf cover in Ancient Woodland areas and to consolidate habitat networks. Parts of the forest area (notably Fron Derw and Coed Gilfach) are considered high priority for restoration to native woodland.
Forests and climate change
- Diverse forests are more robust and resilient to the pressures associated with climate change.
- Continue to broaden the range of age-classes and tree species within the woodlands, using Low Impact Silvicultural Systems (LISS) where appropriate, and reduce the size of future clearfells where possible.
- The forest design will ensure LISS is used in suitable areas, while clearfelling will be used to deal with areas of windblow, and where crops are not stable enough for successive thinning or LISS management.
- Natural regeneration can be used, and supplemented with carefully selected restocking or enrichment planting to improve the species range.
- Regular thinning should be used where possible to improve tree stability and maximise opportunities for improving resilience and achieving the other objectives.
Forests and the historic environment
- Identify and protect important heritage and archaeological features.
- Where appropriate, improve visibility and interpretation of historic landscape features.
Forests and landscape
- Gradually modify the woodlands to improve landscape amenity: in combination with the use of LISS and diversification (described in the objectives above), this entails slowly reducing hard / artificial breaks in the landscape, encouraging mixed woodland at boundaries, and taking account of neighbouring features.
- The size of clearfells will be reduced where practicable (noting that there are difficulties presented by windblow and steep ground). Where clearfelling is used, sites will be restocked in a landscape-sensitive manner.
Forests and people
- Maintain and where possible improve the experience of visitors to the woodland, providing a safe, enjoyable and varied woodland environment.
- The woodlands should be beneficial to the health and well-being of local people and welcoming to visitors from further afield.
- The importance of long-distance paths and historic routes should be recognised.
- The woodlands will be incorporated into the National Forest for Wales.
Forests and soil
- Forest soils will be protected by careful operation management, following industry best practice and the UK Forestry Standard for soils.
- The increased area of minimum intervention and Low Impact Silvicultural Systems will also reduce the impact of machinery use on soils and maintain undisturbed soil structure.
Forests and water
- Use good forestry practice to improve water quality and river function, reducing the risk of downstream flooding.
- Enhance riparian habitats, replacing conifer with open-canopied broadleaf woodland at streamsides, and ensure that these form part of connected nature networks.
- Take opportunities (when carrying out forest operations) to disconnect old forest drains from watercourses, and improve buffer areas around watercourses to trap sediment and reduce threats to water quality from erosion.
Summary of the main changes that will occur in the forest
- Windblown areas will be felled and restocked, in accordance with the management objectives set out in the Forest Resource Plan.
- Young stands of trees will be thinned in a timely way, to improve their stability and resilience, allowing more options for lower-impact management in future.
- The remaining larch areas (which are susceptible to disease) will be gradually reduced and replaced with other suitable species. If trees become infected it may be necessary to fell them earlier than planned.
- We will continue to restructure the forests so that they include a broader range of tree species and age-classes. This will make them more resilient to the impacts associated with climate change.
- Plantations on Ancient Woodland Sites will continue to be restored to predominantly site-native woodland. Where possible this is done gradually through thinnings rather than clearfelling, to minimise impacts on sensitive features.
- We will be increasing the area of native broadleaf woodlands, and improving habitat networks. This will mainly be around streams and rivers, following natural landscape features to provide habitat connectivity.
Forest Resource Plan maps
Maps are large pdf files, and will open in a new browser window. You may prefer to save them to your computer and view using pdf software.
Map 1 - Long-term objectives
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Page 1 (north)
Page 2 (south)
Page 3 (Fron Derw)
Page 4 (Coed Gilfach)
Map 2 - Forest management systems
Page 1 (north)
Page 2 (south)
Page 3 (Fron Derw)
Page 4 (Coed Gilfach)
Map 3 - Indicative forest types
Page 1 (north)
Page 2 (south)
Page 3 (Fron Derw)
Page 4 (Coed Gilfach)
Why your views matter
We would welcome your opinions about our plans for Ceri. We will use these to improve our management of the forests.
Areas
- Kerry
- Newtown East
Audiences
- Forest Management
- MSs and MPs
Interests
- Forest Management
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