The Brechfa Forest is a forest in Carmarthenshire, south Wales. Brechfa Forest is the 'modern' name for part of the ancient Glyn Cothi Forest. From before records began in the 6th century the communities in the 15 villages which encircle Glyn Cothi Forest were managing it to provide employment, building materials, products, and grazing. At various times the forest has been the refuge of Welsh Princes fighting the Norman Invasion, a Royal Hunting Forest, and for two centuries was the 'Texas' of Wales, producing large quantities of oil for lamps. and was a major supplier of timber for the trenches and explosives during World War One.
The Forestry Commission was established to increase timber production during World War One taking control of woodland which was no longer productive. Like the New Forest and the Forest of Dean, Glyn Cothi Forest was still being actively managed by the local community at this point and was a major supplier of timber for the trenches, as well as oil and explosives. During the depression in the 1930s the UK government purchased land which had been part of the original Glyn Cothi forest but had been converted to agriculture. Much of the planting work to create conifer plantations and construction of forest roads was carried out by young unemployed men from a Ministry of Labour work camp. Many came from the distressed coal mining communities, and were recruited for training in one of a number of Instructional Centres created by the Ministry, most of which were on Forestry Commission property; by 1938, the Ministry had 38 Instructional Centres across Britain. The hutted camp in Brechfa was later used to house Basque children who were refugees from the Spanish Civil War.
Management and maintenance of the forest continued to be a major source of employment for local residents until the 1980s when Forestry Commission policies changed to increased mechanisation and subcontracting of work. Carmarthenshire County Council then started regeneration projects to develop Brechfa Forest and the adjoining Llanllwni Mountain as tourist attractions and for recreation.
Brechfa Forest provides open access space for walkers, horse riders and cyclists. Tourism is the second largest source of employment in the villages surrounding the forest. It has become one of Wales' prime destinations for mountain bikers, and is home to several trails designed specifically for mountain biking. With plans to build a Mountain bike centre.
The area is now one of the pilot areas for Wales on supporting the development of a strong sustainable local economy through supporting the communities to take the lead in the development of the area.
From 1 April 2013 the Countryside Council for Wales, Environment Agency Wales, the Forestry Commission Wales and some aspects of the Welsh Government's activities was merged into a single Welsh Government sponsored body, Natural Resources Wales (Welsh: Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru. This included the transfer of the management responsibilities of Brechfa Forest to Natural Resources Wales.
The Forestry Commission is a non-ministerial government department responsible for the management of publicly owned forests and the regulation of both public and private forestry in England.
Carmarthenshire is a county in the south-west of Wales. The three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford. Carmarthen is the county town and administrative centre. The county is known as the "Garden of Wales" and is also home to the National Botanic Garden of Wales.
South Wales is a loosely defined region of Wales bordered by England to the east and mid Wales to the north. Generally considered to include the historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire, south Wales extends westwards to include Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire. In the western extent, from Swansea westwards, local people would probably recognise that they lived in both south Wales and west Wales. The Brecon Beacons National Park covers about a third of south Wales, containing Pen y Fan, the highest British mountain south of Cadair Idris in Snowdonia.
Cwmcarn is a village situated in the Ebbw valley in south Wales, in the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. It grew with 19th-century coal mining, but is now known for its extensive mature forestry and greenery, that attract thousands of visitors and mountain biking enthusiasts each year.
Llanybydder is a market town and community straddling the River Teifi in Carmarthenshire, West Wales. At the 2011 Census, the population of the community was 1638, an increase from 1423 at the 2001 Census.
Abergorlech is a village 8 miles (13 km) to the north-west of Llandeilo in Carmarthenshire, Wales. It lies on the River Cothi on the B4310 road, between Brechfa to the southwest and Llansawel to the northeast.
Lewys Glyn Cothi, also known as Llywelyn y Glyn, was a prominent 15th century Welsh poet who composed numerous poems in the Welsh language. He is one of the most important representatives of the Beirdd yr Uchelwyr or Cywyddwyr ("cywydd-men"), the itinerant professional poets of the period between the 1284 Statute of Rhuddlan and c. 1600.
Gwydir Forest, also spelled Gwydyr, is located in Conwy county borough and the Snowdonia National Park in Wales. It takes its name from the ancient Gwydir Estate, established by the John Wynn family of Gwydir Castle, which owned this area.
Hafren Forest lies north-west of Llanidloes, an ancient market town in Mid Wales.
Bronwydd is a village and community in the county of Carmarthenshire, Wales, situated about three miles north of Carmarthen in the valley of the River Gwili. Bronwydd community comprises the village of Bronwydd Arms, a couple of nearby hamlets and a number of working farms in the surrounding area. In Census 2011, it had a population of 564.
Social forestry is the management and protection of forests and afforestation of barren and deforested lands with the purpose of helping environmental, social and rural development. The term social forestry was first used in 1976 by The National Commission on Agriculture, when the government of India aimed to reduce pressure on forests by planting trees on all unused and fallow lands. It was intended as a democratic approach to forest conservation and usage, maximizing land utilization for multiple purposes.
Brechfa, situated between Llandeilo and Carmarthen in the county of Carmarthenshire, Wales, is a village that has existed since the 6th century at the top of the Cothi Valley. Brechfa village is set in countryside, as well as being located by the Brechfa Forest
Llanllwni is a village and community in Carmarthenshire, Wales, on the A485 road south-west of Llanybydder. To the south lies the mountain, Mynydd Llanllwni. The population of 638 recorded in the 2011 Census was estimated to be 692 in 2019.
The United Kingdom, being in the British Isles, is ideal for tree growth, thanks to its mild winters, plentiful rainfall, fertile soil and hill-sheltered topography. Growth rates for broadleaved (hardwood) trees exceed those of mainland Europe, while conifer (softwood) growth rates are three times those of Sweden and five times those of Finland. In the absence of people, much of Great Britain would be covered with mature oaks, except for Scotland. Although conditions for forestry are good, trees do face damage threats arising from fungi, parasites and pests. The development of afforestation and the production and supply of timber in Wales come under Natural Resources Wales, as set out in the Forestry Act 1967.
Brechfa Forest West Wind Farm is a wind farm in Brechfa Forest in Carmarthenshire in south west Wales. Construction of the wind farm began in November 2016 and power generation commenced in January 2018.
Scotland is ideal for tree growth, thanks to its mild winters, plentiful rainfall, fertile soil and hill-sheltered topography. As of 2019 about 18.5% of the country was wooded. Although this figure is well below the European Union (EU) average of 43%, it represents a significant increase compared to the figure of 100 years previously: in 1919 it was estimated that only 5% of the country's total land area was covered in forest. The Scottish Government's Draft Climate Change Plan has set an aim of increasing coverage to 21% of Scotland by 2032, with the rate of afforestation rising to 15,000 hectares per year by 2024.
Forestry in Wales is the practice of planting, managing, and caring for forests in Wales.
Spirit Creek Forest is a state forest in Richmond County, Georgia. The forest is 725 acres and is managed by the Georgia Forestry Commission. The forest is mostly made up of wetlands, loblolly pines, and bottomland hardwoods.
The National Forest for Wales is a long-term forestation programme by the Welsh Government, aiming to form a network of woodland throughout Wales.
Field, J. Learning Through Labour: Training, unemployment and the state, 1890-1939, University of Leeds, 1992, ISBN 0-900960-48-5