A woodland surrounding a reservoir which provides clean water to the people of Newport has won a gold award for its sensitive management by Forestry Commission Wales.
Foresters use low impact methods to look after Talybont woodland in the heart of the Brecon Beacons National Park to avoid affecting the water quality in the reservoir.
Now the woodland, which is owned by Dwr Cymru and leased to FC Wales, has won the gold award for the best-managed woodland in Wales between 200 and 1,000 hectares.
Talybont is a popular forest containing long-distance walks and cycleways, such as the Taff trail and Sustrans cycle route. There are also car parks and access points onto the open hill and the popular Blyn y Glyn watefalls.
The 810 hectare forest, managed by FC Wales on behalf of the Welsh Assembly Government, was originally designed in the 1950s to balance tree types and colour to create year-round interest and is an important part of the landscape in the Park.
It also has signs of the area’s industrial past with the Brinore Tramroad, which once transported material from the nearby Trefil quarry and Tredegar ironworks to the canal at Talybont for onward shipment to a demanding world.
Over the past 15 years, FC Wales has focused its efforts on creating a more interesting mix of tree types and ages by clearing some areas and thinning others.
In order to protect water quality, they use Low Impact Silvicultural Systems (LISS) in the buffer zones around the reservoir and along streams to ensure they are unaffected by felling operations.
Today, FC Wales aims to increase the amount of broadleaved trees in the forest and reshape the hard edges on the upper slopes so that the forest sits better in the landscape.
Judge Graham Heath said, “An attractive and productive woodland is being enhanced by sympathetic and well-considered management.
“The constraints of the adjacent reservoir and watercourse are well understood and considered.”
Accepting the award at this year’s Royal Welsh Show, FC Wales Local Area Manager Paul Dann said, “Winning this award recognises the attention to detail and consideration given to this important and prominent woodland by foresters during the past 60 years.”
