Upper Duddon Valley pilot
As the CLA is one of the partners in the Lake District National Park Partnership, CLA North Rural Surveyor Robert Frewen recently accompanied a visit to learn more about a landscape recovery pilot.The landscape recovery scheme is the highest tier under the Environmental Land Management Scheme and is aimed at areas of land of more than 5,000 acres.
It could be undertaken by either a large estate or a grouping as in this case, where the National Trust, the Forestry Commission and two private land owners have grouped together to put together a scheme, and between them cover well over 10,000 acres in the Upper Duddon Valley.
The aim is to recreate native woodland habitat and restore the open fells bringing the heather and dwarf shrub that previously existed over a twenty year period.
In addition they intend to maintain the upper stretches of the Duddon river with riparian planting to shade the river and try to keep summer temperatures of the water down, coupled with plans to reintroduce salmon, black grouse and pine marten.
