Welcome to the West Midlands Biodiversity Partnership Newsletter.

In this message:

	Spotlight on . . . Government Office for the West Midlands
	Ancient Woodlands in the West Midlands
	Update from Worcestershire LBAP
	OPAL Grants Scheme

Spotlight on . . . Government Office for the West Midlands

Government Office for the West Midlands (GOWM) works to influence the development and delivery of government policies and programmes in the West Midlands on behalf of twelve central government departments, by working with relevant organisations to meet local needs. GOWM is government in the region, acting as the ears, eyes and voice for central government, and reflecting back to Whitehall the interests, concerns and successes of the West Midlands to inform policy development.

As part of its role, GOWM works to ensure that the region's natural assets are protected and that environmental systems are working effectively, and to create places where people really want to live and work. For example GOWM negotiates Local Area Agreement targets with local government, which include targets on climate change, flooding and biodiversity, and GOWM works with partners such as Natural England, the Environment Agency and the Sustainable Development Officers Network to provide support for delivery of these targets.

GOWM also chairs and leads the Defra Agenda Group (DAG) in the West Midlands, which coordinates delivery on the natural environment. DAG is currently working on a project to articulate natural environment priorities for the region that can then be used to influence regional and sub-regional policy-making, develop regional and sub-regional programmes, drive investment choices and coordinate and inform the work of the key agencies (Advantage West Midlands, the Environment Agency, the Forestry Commission , Natural England, Animal Health and GOWM).

Other GOWM work related to biodiversity includes working with partners to help secure European funding for the natural environment, to stimulate the development of landscape-scale projects; working with other Government Offices and Defra to influence the development of the ecosystems approach, for example the recently produced Natural Environment Narrative; sitting on the England Biodiversity Group , the steering group for the England Biodiversity Strategy, and chairing its Local and Regional Strategic Implementation Group.

Ancient Woodlands in the West Midlands

The Forestry Commission (FC) wishes to see more and better managed woodlands in the West Midlands, delivering a full range of benefits in line with the West Midlands Regional Forestry Framework, the Strategy for England's Trees, Woods & Forests , the West Midlands Regional Economic Strategy and the West Midlands Regional Spatial Strategy.

Ancient woodlands are a key woodland natural asset, and the West Midlands has the highest proportion of ancient woodland in any region outside the south-east. Ancient woodlands and trees are particularly important because they are exceptionally rich in wildlife, including many rare species and habitats; they act as reservoirs from which wildlife can spread into new woodlands; they contain surviving descendants and features from original natural forests; they are an integral part of England's historic landscapes and they contain a wealth of historic features unaltered by cultivation or disturbance; they provide a quality renewable resource in the form of hardwood timber and other woodland products and they contribute to people's sense of place and well-being.

FC is developing a project to secure the future of ancient woodlands in the West Midlands, focusing on those most at risk, by addressing the key threats to ancient woodlands; increasing the woodlands' resilience; improving habitat networks for climate change adaptation; promoting sustainable management and economic viability; and generating wood for fuel. A pilot project in the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty will provide a basis from which to build a region-wide project for delivery in 2011/12.

Update from Worcestershire LBAP

The Worcestershire Biodiversity Partnership has published two opportunity maps of the landscape-scale areas that will be the focus for delivery in the county over the next fifteen years. The priorities for immediate action include the Severn and Avon Vales, the acid grasslands and heathlands in Wyre Forest District, and the Bow Brook catchment.

In addition, the Partnership has agreed to develop and deliver a pastoral landscape-themed project that will focus on grassland, traditional orchard, and wood pasture and parkland habitats within two key areas: the Forest of Feckenham and the Malvern Chase and Laugherne Valley.

OPAL Grants Scheme

The next round of the OPAL Grants Scheme is now open for new applications. The scheme awards grants of between £1,000 and £4,000 and aims to help natural history societies and recording schemes grow and flourish. The theme for 2010 is 'Extending your reach - inspiring a new generation of nature enthusiasts'.

The scheme is open to all national and local natural history societies, recording schemes and similar groups that are active within England, including regional branches of national organisations, although the group's primary focus must be biological. Previous recipients include bat groups, fungi groups, bee-keepers, and bird groups.