Update: 26.9.24
Living fells; supporting upland plant communities to recolonise pilot study
The Lake District National Park Authority (LDNPA), the Caldbeck Commoners’ Association and Natural England are working together on this exciting new experimental project to fence off three small upland areas of designated ‘Site of Special Scientific Interest’ on Caldbeck Common, totalling 36.2ha, for a period of five years. Fencing on common land typically requires Secretary of State, Section 38 approval however in this instance, as the area being fenced is less than 1% of registered common and for five years with the goal to improve the habitat, an exemption is made possible.
Caldbeck Common makes up part of the Skiddaw Group SSSI characterised as the Cumbrian High Fells. The reason for this citation includes the special biological habitats such Heather moorland and blanket bog. Other habitats of special interest are montane moss heath and juniper scrub. There are large swathes of nationally rare Juniper present and large populations of montane breeding bird assemblages which are surveyed every year. This temporary break in livestock grazing will enable the recolonisation of upland plant communities in carefully selected locations.
Working closely with Natural England, LDNPA and Caldbeck Commoners agreed to an experimental project to investigate the impacts of fencing small areas of plant communities to encourage recolonisation. The results of this pilot will inform future management decisions on the common and repeated fencing of targeted areas could be a valuable tool, helping us work towards improving habitats across the common. This approach not only helps to boost biodiversity in targeted areas but also allows commoners to continue with culturally valuable practices with minimal impact.
To ensure continued open access (CROW Act, 2000), not only have the selected sites been carefully chosen to ensure minimal impact to visitors on the common but two pedestrian gates will be fitted at each site to allow visitors to pass through.
A series of site visits were carried out and with the guidance from Natural England, to evaluate multiple sites identified as well suited for this project. These areas contain small but well-developed patches of heathland species, such as heather and bilberry, and would benefit from a little time to encourage denser, more robust, species diverse communities. These carefully selected areas are more likely to respond to a short-term break in grazing.
LDNPA commissioned an appraisal to assess the proposed areas to recommend the most appropriate areas to fence to ensure minimal negative impact on the graziers, landscape, cultural and historic, biodiversity and access. This comprehensive study considered the suitability of installing relatively small, fenced areas at five different locations on Caldbeck Common. The sites are located on different fells with sufficient distance and changes in topography to prevent negative cumulative effects. These sites offer the best outcome for balancing objectives of livestock management, nature recovery and delivery of public goods, including cultural goods associated with landscape character and visitor access and experience.
This project was funded by Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) and LDNPA.
The project has also provided an opportunity to demonstrate reusable metal fencing in one of the three locations in the hope that this more durable fencing can be used in future projects helping to reduce the LDNPA’s organisational carbon footprint. The fenced area on Birk Hill is considered the most suitable site to trial this innovative fencing due to its remoteness and lack of well used paths in the area. As a relatively new fencing system, LDNPA will evaluate the effectiveness of the reusable fencing and invite interested land managers and organisations to discuss the teams’ experiences. The metal post system is designed to be sustainable, long lasting and reusable. Its design enables it to be easily disassembled at the end of the five-year period and reused in future projects.
As part of this experimental project, LDNPA will be commissioning a baseline ecological condition assessment and repeated assessments throughout and at the end of the project, to monitor and evaluate changes in plant species and populations throughout the 5-year project and beyond.
Existing data and anecdotal evidence suggest deer populations are not currently an issue on Caldbeck Common especially in open fell with limited shelterbelts in the High Fells, where the fencing has been constructed. However, on recommendation, we will undertake a thermal drone survey to provide a base line for deer present across Caldbeck common and evidence of browsing within the fenced areas will be monitored and recorded.
The temporary exclusion of livestock on carefully chosen areas of upland heath is experimental in design and engaging with stakeholders and interested parties in process, lessons learned and providing training opportunities is a key element of the project. There will be an opportunity to be involved in knowledge-sharing events nearing the end of this project, where methods and outcomes will be discussed with commoners, local communities and nature conservation organisations. As the project progresses, there will be further information available on these events.
