1. Wet Woodlands and the Water Framework Directive Ben Bunting, South West River Basin Programme Manager

2. The Water Framework Directive  The most substantial piece of EC water legislation to date  Designed to improve and integrate the way water is managed throughout Europe  Looks at ecology, chemistry and physical condition  Drives us to work together to deliver integrated catchment and coastal management, to protect and improve the water environment over time

3. December 2008 - dRBMP  Public Consultation  How far, how fast?  Closes 22 nd June An Opportunity!

5. Where are we now? WFD Classification  Replaces General Quality Assessment (GQA)  has driven 20 years of water quality improvement  WFD Raises the bar  a more sophisticated assessment  over 30 aspects of the environment are included  a wide range of impacts on biological health: industry, diffuse pollution, urban  estuaries, coastal waters, lakes and rivers  One out, all out – a much stricter system

6. Where are we now? Nutrients, fish communities and some metals

7. Outcomes from the draft plan SW RBD:  reduce phosphate: 1,200km  improve fish: 750km of river  Improve diatoms: 700km  Invertebrates: 100km  Reduced ammonia  significant reductions in abstraction Based on ‘certain’ outcomes, and a ‘one out, all out’ approach We want to do more

8. ADAS: Woodlands and the WFD  Broadly Positive  River Management : Woodlands help protect and achieve Good Ecological Status (Temperature, pollution interception, morphology)  Floods: Models suggest suitable river & floodplain woodlands can attenuate downstream impacts  Waste Management : Sewage sludge, wastewater treatment  Climate Change: Clear synergies All assuming the right trees are in the right place!

9. What’s in the draft plan?  Some specific actions for Forestry Commission :  “Review the SW Regional Woodland and Forestry Framework Implementation Plan to ensure that WFD priorities are reflected”  “Identify sites where planting will contribute to achieving WFD targets, and review grant schemes to encourage delivery”  Other related projects : WATER, RELU, Upstream Thinking, West Cornwall Woodlands, Devon Floodplain Woodlands… Does this cover everything?

10. What should be in the final plan?  Better links between the work already in the plan and outcomes for the environment  More actions that we are confident will deliver WFD and associated benefits  Does this mean more on river and floodplain woodlands? If so, what have we missed? …and what will it deliver?

11. Summary  The draft River Basin Plans are here, they matter and we want to make them better  Forestry and floodplain & wet woodland projects are present in the plan – have we got it right?  We want to do more with your help  Tell us what you think!