England
Squirrel
Forum
The England Squirrel Forum (ESF) has responsibility for co-ordinating the delivery of those parts of the Red Squirrel SAP that relate to England. This involves inter-related aspects of grey squirrel management and control for red squirrel conservation, but the forum also considers more general grey squirrel issues, such as environmental impacts and damage control. The ESF is made up of representatives from conservation and woodland owner and management organisations and is chaired by Forestry Commission England. The following organisations are currently represented on the England Squirrel Forum:
- Chiltern Woodlands Partnership
- Country Landowners Association
- Cumbria Wildlife Trust
- Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)
- European Squirrel Initiative
- Forest Enterprise England
- Forest Research
- Forestry and Timber Association
- Forestry Commission England
- Game Conservancy Trust
- Isle of Wight District Council
- Lancashire Wildlife Trust
- Natural England (formally English Nature)
- National Trust
- Northumberland Wildlife Trust
- Save our Squirrels - A Red Alert North England Project
- Red Alert North West
Priority Woodlands and Management Plans
Using guidelines from the UK Red Squirrel Group on identification of priority areas for red squirrel conservation, the ESF have identified key sites within which the current red squirrel population has the best chance of surviving and where the risk of grey squirrel incursion can be minimised. Management plans for these priority areas have already been produced for the Isle of Wight and Poole Harbour Islands and the 16 key woodlands in the North of England and will shortly be available.
The England Grey Squirrel Policy
Forestry Commission England has drawn up a policy and action statement on grey squirrels in England in conjunction with the ESF. This has been consulted on and is now being discussed with Defra prior to finalisation.
Local Action
Since the early 1990s, regional campaigns to prevent the extinction of red squirrel in Northern England have been in operation. Known as Red Alert North East and Red Alert North West these community based projects have been fundamental in raising awareness and actively pursuing red squirrel conservation in England's last strongholds for the species. The Red Alert partnerships of conservation groups and businesses have pushed forward the development of red squirrel conservation to the stage where the 16 large conifer forest reserves have been selected and are being brought into management.
Save our Squirrels Project
Northumberland
Mark Wilkinson
Tel: 0191 284 6884
Cumbria and North Yorkshire
Simon O’ Hare
Tel: 01931 711 025
Sefton and North Merseyside
Fiona Whitfield
Tel: 0151 920 3769
For details of the latest meetings, please select from the list of minutes below: