The Forestry Commission is supporting a `back to nature’ plan in Weardale which will see thousands of native trees take root and new wildlife habitats created.

The blueprint on the Weardale Estate, near Killhope in the North Pennine AONB, will involve the felling of 43 hectares (107 acres) of conifer trees planted in the 1950s.

Species like oak, ash and rowan will take their place, covering 26 hectares (65 acres), with the remaining land reverting to heather moor.

A scrubby woodland edge will also be created favoured by the endangered Black grouse – a bird which is enjoying a revival thanks to conservation work in the northern uplands, its key English stronghold.

Rachel Sparks, Forestry Commission Woodland Officer, said:

“We have worked very hard with the estate to draw up this plan which offers major gains for wildlife and the landscape. The existing conifer block was planted at a time of post-war austerity when timber production was a top priority. Commercial forestry remains crucial to the region’s economy, but that has to be balanced with wider conservation goals. Under the plans important lead mining archaeology dating back hundreds of years will also be better protected. Many of the conifers are planted on top of these fragile sites which are suffering from root damage.”

Because Weardale has a red squirrel population, forest chiefs ordered a detailed ecological assessment into the plan's impact on the creature. As a consequence the proposals now include an element of conifer replanting with larch and Scots pine - a habitat in which reds enjoy a relatively greater advantage over their larger grey cousin. Another conifer woodland is also located nearby, which is unaffected by the scheme, which will further mitigate any negative effects.

The Forestry Commission is seeking the views of other organisations on the plan, including Natural England and Durham County Council. Work could start later this year and be will be spread over five years, with the bulk of the felling carried out in the first two years. The Forestry Commission will support the woodland’s regeneration with grants from the English Woodland Grant Scheme (EWGS).

Rachel Sparks added:

"Native woods in the North Pennines AONB are very fragmented and represent only 0.5 percent of land area. That's well below the national average. This plan will significantly boost these figures, creating new havens for animals and plants.”

Sebastian Green, from the Weardale Estate, said:

“The benefits to wildlife, particularly the birdlife, on a site at Wellhope, where the Estate undertook a similar operation a few years ago, has been tremendous. The Estate is keen to see similar benefits at Killhope and wants to implement an agreed felling and restocking strategy before any more windblow sets in.”