Larch harvesting to take place at Gwynedd forest to slow disease spread

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) will commence 10 hectares of tree felling at a north Wales woodland, between the end of November and the end of January 2025.

The work at Parc y Bwlch, near Bethesda is part of the Bethesda and Abergwyngregyn Forest Resource Plan which was developed in 2021 and aims to diversify species and build a more resilient forest for the future.

The harvesting work, taking place in the north-west corner of the forest, is timed to avoid red squirrel breeding and most bird nesting seasons with conservation checks made before any work starts.

Contractors will also employ directional felling to enable any wildlife to retreat to nearby trees from the area being felled.

Fungal disease

Kath McNulty, NRW’s Team Leader for North West Wales Forest Operations, said: “This work will include larch trees at Parc y Bwlch which have reached a good size for harvesting.

“Sadly in Wales, larch trees are susceptible to Phytophthora ramorum, a fungal disease that kills them and the disease is spreading rapidly. Harvesting the trees before they become infected helps slow the spread.

“When replanting, larch will no longer be used.

“As part of the work we are carrying out environmental surveys to reduce the impact on the environment.

“We would like to thank members of the public for their understanding during the work.”

Sale

Local residents and stakeholders have been kept updated through a series of guided walks held last year to explain plans for the forest.

Some of the harvested trees will be made available for sale to local community groups.

The forest, including footpaths, will remain open to visitors and we ask members of the public to follow all signage and instructions from staff while on site.

Felled timber, which will be processed into durable products, will continue to be removed from the site until the end of April if needed.

The haulage route will be along Lon y Grug, over the Bwlch towards Rhiwen and onto the A4244.