Conservation

Woodland Service

Since 1 December 2009, the Ranger Service has been known as the Woodland Service. This change in name reflects a change in the service's remit. The change will allow us to focus our time, efforts and resources on managing our portfolio of 19 woodland sites and nature reserves throughout the district. Most sites are within the urban area of High Wycombe but we also have sites in Princes Risborough, Marlow and Prestwood.

More about woodland and nature reserves.

We will be striving to engage people from all aspects of the local community including schools, volunteer groups and organisations and businesses in enjoying and helping to look after their woodlands.

Biodiversity

We work closely with other councils and non-governmental organisations to deliver our responsibilities from central Government (Section 40 Natural Environment & Rural Communities Act 2006 - see link below) on conserving Biodiversity as part of the Bucks & Milton Keynes Biodiversity Partnership. The partnership works within a regional framework, the South East England Biodiversity Forum to safeguard biodiversity in a landscape context.

This partnership consists of representatives from over 40 organisations including the district and county councils, Chilterns AONB Conservation Board, Forestry Commission, Environment Agency and Natural England (See links below) plus charities and community organisations all working to protect and enhance the wildlife of Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes.

The partnership has two main projects:

Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP)

This aims to create a landscape that is beneficial to both people and wildlife. It contains targets for habitat protection, management restoration and creation. The partnership has identified Biodiversity Opportunity Areas (BOAs) where it is looking to work with landowners and local people to protect and enhance local wildlife habitats. This will enable wildlife to spread through the area, adapt to climate change and should help to reduce local extinctions.

Local Wildlife Sites (LWS)

These are sites of local importance for nature conservation - they include grasslands, ponds, commons, wetlands, woodlands and hedgerows and are recognised within the local planning system. We manage ten LWS's:

• Brush Hill,
• Sands Bank,
• Keep Hill Wood,
• Prestwood LNR & Picnic Site,
• Round Wood,
• Gomm's Wood,
• Tom Burt's Hill,
• Castlefield and Rowliff Wood,
• Marlow Common,
• Highfield & Hangingcroft Woods.

Wildlife & Planning

Environmental legislation and planning guidance requires Local Authorities to ensure that development proposals maintain, enhance and restore wildlife conservation interests. To meet these requirements applications might need to be accompanied by ecological information.

More about Wildlife & Planning:

You can download our Wildlife Advice Note - Guidance for applicants and developers and the Wildlife Checklist below.