Red squirrels in Yorkshire to get funding boost

07/09/2009 10:51:52 New move to protect red squirrels in the Yorkshire dales

September 2009. The Forestry Commission has pledged £153,000 for vital work to help safeguard the future of the Yorkshire Dale's red squirrel population.

Red squirrel reserve
A grant has been awarded to UPM Tilhill to help stem the incursion of grey squirrels into 1000 hectare (2500 acre) Greenfield Forest, near Hawes, Langstrothdale, which was last year designated as the country's 17th red squirrel reserve.

Humane traps
Habitat creation and wildlife conservation are important drivers behind the Regional Forestry Strategy for Yorkshire and the Humber. Now with the backing of forest chiefs - offered under the English Woodland Grant Scheme - a full-time ranger will be appointed to check and reverse the spread of greys into the remote wood using humane traps and other methods.

The aim is to push the animal back beyond a buffer zone set up around the forest, allowing reds to strengthen their foothold. Red squirrels were first confirmed in Greenfield in 2004 and are probably an offshoot of the Cumbrian population. Once widespread, the creature is now confined to just a few areas of England, chiefly in Northumberland, Cumbria and North Yorkshire.

Greenfield Forest has been designated as a Red Squirrel Reserve. Credit Forestry Commission.

Parapox virus
The North American grey squirrel poses a twin threat: not only does it out compete its smaller cousin for food, but far more significantly, it carries the parapox virus, which is lethal to the reds. Jeremy Dick, Yorkshire Dales Woodland Officer with the Forestry Commission, said:

"Reds and greys cannot co-exist together in the longer term so we're faced with a simple conservation choice. Greenfield Forest is a good place to make a stand as it's an isolated wood and one planted almost entirely with conifer trees like spruce. They produce a small seed, which is enough to keep reds nourished and give them an edge. The new ranger will play a crucial role in combating the spread of greys and also working with stakeholders and neighbouring landowners to provide additional protection to red squirrels."

Squirrel ranger
UPM Tilhill, which manages Greenfield Forest, is working with Red Alert North England partners including the Forestry Commission, Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority and the Save Our Squirrels project to implement new management guidelines for the reserve. It is hoped that the new ranger will be in place shortly. Funding will be spread over five years.

John Gallacher, Ecologist, UPM Tilhill said: "UPM Tilhill take habitat and species conservation very seriously and we have been working to encourage red squirrels in the Dales for a number of years. Greenfield, because of its size and location, provides us with a wonderful opportunity to create a sustainable reserve where red squirrels can thrive. A healthy population of red squirrels can act as a point of migration from which emigration can take place to other suitable areas. This grant will enable UPM Tilhill to manage grey squirrels at Greenfield and help to ensure the long term survival of our native species."