Mitigation

What is mitigation?

If red squirrels are present, you should recommend ways that animals and their dreys can be protected during proposed works.  This should try to avoid damage or disturbance but, if this is not possible, you should recommend ways to mitigate (offset the impacts of) the work.

Red squirrels and their dreys are protected but feeding areas are not.  It is, however, good practice to consider the impacts of work on the population as a whole.  For example, felling a small area of woodland with no woodland nearby could eliminate the population whereas felling the same size of woodland on the edge of a large woodland block would have a lesser effect.  It is also helpful to take into account how the wider area will be managed over a longer timescale to ensure that provision is made for a sustainable red squirrel population.  Further information on squirrels and woodland management is available from the Forestry Commission  .

Types of mitigation

Mitigation measures may include:

Design phase:

• Adapt the proposal to avoid the need to fell trees with red squirrel dreys;
• Adapt the proposal to maintain a buffer of at least one tree between the development and any trees with dreys, to minimise disturbance;
• Plan to retain some connectivity between trees with dreys and adjacent woodlands which have the potential to support displaced animals;
• Plan to avoid breaking up woodland blocks or disrupting wooded corridors;
• Creating woodland to offset any losses of habitat.  This should be similar in quality and quantity to provide alternative habitat.  NB: Any woodland would need to be at least 15 years of age to offer suitable habitat for displaced animals.  This would require considerable pre-planning or planning across a wider area and timescale;
• In areas with both red and grey squirrels, avoid planting large-seeded tree species and shrubs which would benefit grey squirrels.  This includes oak, beech, hazel and chestnut.
• Consider grey squirrel control within, and adjacent to, the area.

Construction phase:

• Plan the timing of work to avoid the breeding season, i.e. February to September, to avoid orphaning young animals or destroying breeding dreys;
• Avoid felling trees within 50m of any dreys occupied in the breeding season to avoid disturbance.