肯特郡一片有400年历史的古代林地Oaken Wood正面临被夷平的危险，以便为相邻采石场的扩建让路。[1]肯特郡议会本月投票决定将该林地纳入矿产遗址规划，用于开采石灰岩。[1]这一决定激发了广泛的环保抗争，运动人士和环保组织称其将摧毁不可替代的生态系统。[1]
Oaken Wood面积40公顷，自至少1600年以来持续有林木覆盖。[1]现存采石场在过去十多年间已吞并了该林地80英亩。[1]规划咨询期间，超过25,000人表达了对该计划的关切。[1]开发商Gallagher Group承诺将土壤"迁移和保留"，并种植超过原有面积两倍的树木。[1]
然而，环保人士对这些补偿措施提出异议。Lawyers for Nature管理总监Brontie Ansell表示："这是不可替代的，你无法在其他地方复制这个。"[1]肯特野生动物信托基金和林地信托基金均反对该计划。[1]运动人士指出，该决定将破坏关键的土壤、真菌网络和濒危物种栖息地。[1]
Ancient woodland in Kent faces destruction to make way for limestone extraction, sparking fierce environmental opposition. Oaken Wood, which has been continuously forested since at least 1600, covers 40 hectares (100 acres) and is now threatened with clearance following a vote by Kent County Council to designate it as a mineral extraction site.[1] The council, led by the Reform Party, has approved the expansion of an adjacent quarry into the woodland.[1]
Conservation groups and campaigners have condemned the decision, arguing that the woodland's ecological value cannot be replicated elsewhere. The site harbors critical soil structures, fungal networks, and habitats for endangered species.[1] Brontie Ansell, managing director of Lawyers for Nature, emphasized the irreplaceable nature of the ecosystem, stating: "This is irreplaceable, you cannot replicate this anywhere else."[1] Both the Kent Wildlife Trust and the Woodland Trust have opposed the scheme.[1] More than 25,000 people raised concerns about the proposal during last year's planning consultation.[1]
The existing quarry has already consumed 80 acres of the woodland over the past decade.[1] Developer Gallagher Group has pledged to relocate and retain soil from the site and plant trees at more than double the original woodland area, though environmentalists argue these mitigation measures cannot compensate for the loss of ancient forest.[1]