Updated OPM Management Zone Boundaries

The Forestry Commission released the updated OPM Management Zone boundaries on the 8th March 2023, based on OPM sightings over the last year.

The Established Area has increased to the north/northeast to include parts of Buckinghamshire, Three Rivers, Watford, St Albans, Welwyn Hatfield, south of East Hertfordshire, Broxbourne, Harlow, Epping Forest, Brentwood, Basildon and Thurrock.

The Buffer Zone has expanded westwards to include Test Valley, Eastleigh, Southampton, Fareham, Gosport, Portsmouth, Havant and part of the New Forest and Wiltshire, and also northwards into Bedford and parts of Huntingdonshire and South Cambridge, and north-eastwards into Colchester and half of Tendring.

Interstingly, there has been no change to the far southeast (Kent).