South Downs survey request

The South Downs National Park contains several areas of rare lowland heath which are valued by many for their beauty, biodiversity and the opportunities they offer for walking, riding and cycling.

Later this year the South Downs National Park Authority will be submitting a bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund, on behalf of the South Downs Heathland Partnership, for a substantial grant to support a Wooded Heaths Project. This project will aim to achieve ‘bigger, better, more and joined up heathland’ within the South Downs National Park.

The National Park Authority have recently launched a survey to provide support and to help inform this project bid.

The survey is aimed mainly at people who live near or visit the heathland areas of the National Park, and aims to gather information on which heathland sites people visit and why, and what they would like to see included in a new partnership project.

The survey will also will help the National Park Authority in planning two heathland drop-in days to be held in Liphook and Petworth during May and June respectively (further details of which will be posted on this Forum soon).

I am forwarding this survey on behalf of the National Park Authority, and would be grateful if you could use the survey to let the National Park Authority know how you currently use ‘our heaths’ and what you think is important for their future management. The survey should only take a few minutes to complete and will remain open until midday on Monday 13 May.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/woodedheaths

Susanne Frost
Countryside Ranger
Culture, Communities and Business Services
Tel: 02392 476411