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Went up there today for the first time in a few weeks and most of the middle of the woods on the west of the road is closed - even the main fire-road. The only available riding on that side is to go to the back car park on the road, then do the fence line, turn right at the end and all the trails that lead down to the Taff Trail climb.
Anyone got any inside info on how it's going? They've already cleared a big section in the valley with the road, don't remember there being any larch trees even though it says that's what they're doing.
Steps up onto soap box
NRW used to fell 5% of the wood across Wales, that's now increased to 15% they also consider a 'natural' regrowth strategy as an acceptable way for a felled Forrest to recover. In the example of Castle coch they feel it will take upto 30 years to recover... In my view NRW are cutting trees under the guise of larch die back to increase turn over as they are skint, hence pushing the natural regrowth idea as its cheaper than planting.
NRW seem to have a real issue with mountain biking with their destruction of the line at Caerphilly (cheers Ron) and machen plus the signs up at any area that people ride due to their Strava research
In Castle Coch they've employed security to stop people riding (even at night) yet NRW ignore the carpark being dogging central even with so many families using the facilities. I think they've said operations will take 6 months.
It's really sad to see so many areas now bare of trees in South Wales and its not stopping.
Larch disease may kill trees, so to stop it killing trees we'll kill trees... Plus how do they stop the regrowth not having the same problems?
Steps off soap box
Larch disease may kill trees, so to stop it killing trees we’ll kill trees… Plus how do they stop the regrowth not having the same problems?
Why would you want to keep an non native monoculture?
I don't think larch will regrow? (But i'm not sure about that).
It sounds great to me - converting conifer plantations to native mixed woodland will be a great boon for the local ecosystem.
In Castle Coch they’ve employed security to stop people riding
What? Where? When?
Agree re monoculture but pretty sure the bit they felled at Castell Coch was messy broadleaf woodland and I can't imagine it was worth much as timber either.
@mrman I love a good conspiracy, but there's a few hole in your theory, 1st and foremost, you can only make money selling timber if you actually sell the timber, as far as I can tell they're leaving it all behind in massive stacks tucked away from the usual routes, well at the other sites they've worked on anyway.
Secondly, there's endless other forests that almost no one visits on hillsides all over Wales, but sadly the disease is usually spread by humans so they don't seem to be infected.
In regards to Forest Fawr in particular, we're in the first year of a four year plan (they're not working on it 12 months a year, it just goes on for 4 years). As Molegrips said there's a massive exclusion zone at the moment, but there is still some great riding down towards the back of the forest on that side, the only thing to consider is that whilst it used to be the quiet end, now with the diversion there will probably be a lot more walkers and horse riders down there.
The real shame for me is the usual MO from the forestry workers, someone comes along with the tape and marks out the tress that have to go, the workers look at them, think "that'll be tricky" and obliterate everything in their path, the section they've cleared by the road looks like it's been shelled, there's not a thing left standing, I guess it's easier to just use the heavy equipment and take out all the trees, than mess about only removing the larch, I don't see it recovering, not in the way they plan, it'll be grassland.
My heart sank a little a few weeks ago when it was said that this disease had found its way to another forest in England somewhere, they were doing the same stuff that NRW tried 10 years ago, bike washes, asking people not to transport mud between sites etc, but I don't think it'll work - they discovered it at Afan 10 years ago, and they're still tearing the arse out of the forests trying to stop it. Very very few official trails in South Wales are through trees any more and in a few years none will be.
TIL most NRW employees are probably doggers