gosforth park nature reserve is a wildlife haven in tyne and wear , england .

it includes a lake and woodland , and is managed by the natural history society of northumbria .

it is part of gosforth park , the old estate of gosforth house .

gosforth park nature reserve

an opportunity to learn about the fauna and flora of gosforth park nature reserve .
gosforth park nature reserve are offering an opportunity to learn more about the fauna and flora of their nature reserve at this special event .
find out about the save gosforth wildlife campaign and help us to protect gosforth park nature reserve and its wildlife from being surrounded by development .
enjoy this collection of photos and videos of the flora and fauna of gosforth park nature reserve which have been sent to us by society members .
access to gosforth park nature reserve is strictly on a ‘members only’ basis only . non - members can however purchase day passes from the nhsn office .
gosforth park nature reserve is one of the best places to see wildlife in newcastle and tyne & wear . on this page you can find out about some of the reserve’s wildlife .
we manage gosforth park nature reserve and one of our main aims is to encourage the study of natural history - something we have been doing for nearly 200 years .
gosforth park also boasts a local population of roe deer and remains a stronghold for red squirrels and badgers .
gosforth park nature reserve is open to nhsn members . non - members are also very welcome to visit by purchasing a day pass , and we hold an annual open day in the summer .
six members of tep’s north east office volunteered for a day’s hard labour at gosforth park nature reserve , a beautiful refuge in the north of newcastle managed by the natural history society of northumbria ( nhsn ) .
to design facilities suitable for a nature reserve and which meet the needs of the end users .
‘the wildlife doesn’t spend all of its time in the nature reserve , ’ james tells us . ‘the animals go outside the nature reserve to find food , so they need a bigger area than just the nature reserve to survive . if you start building on the land around it the nature reserve can’t support as much wildlife , so it has a direct impact on the reserve itself , even if you’re not building on the reserve . that’s what we’ve been fighting against . ’
gosforth park nature reserve provides a focus for the society’s conservation and research activities . the southern half of the reserve is designated as a site of special scientific interest ( sssi ) and the whole site is designated as a local wildlife site and wildlife corridor in recognition of its ecological importance .
reed warblers are a specialty of gosforth park nature reserve which holds the biggest breeding population this far north in the uk . ringing is the only way this species can be monitored effectively , and current trends suggest that the population is increasing as the area of reedbed is expanded .
arc hosts the all - weather championships across lingfield park , newcastle , southwell , wolverhampton , as well as chelmsford city and kempton park , culminating in the £1million finals day at lingfield park and £250 , 000 race day at newcastle on good friday .
access to the society’s nature reserve is through the garden of lake lodge , a stone - built cottage , which belonged , like the reserve , to the high gosforth park company . lake lodge was put up for sale and purchased by the society in may 1970 in order to ensure access to the reserve and to provide accommodation for a volunteer on - site warden .
we are always looking for society members to help us manage and protect the nature reserve . to volunteer please click here .
our work on the reserve is guided by a 10 - year management plan which is approved by natural england . this plan also includes detailed information about the nature reserve and its history .
the society still maintains its magnificent natural history library and archives and the nature reserve at gosforth park as well as carrying out research and promoting the study of the natural sciences by providing lectures , field outings and education courses and publishing scientific papers . almost 190 years after its foundation , the society remains very active with over 1 , 700 members .
the story begins in 1509 , when the land of gosforth park , including the area on which the reserve now sits , was bought by the brandling family . they invested in coal production , made a fortune , and enclosed their land to create a private estate – gosforth house , built in the 18th century , now part of the racecourse facilities , became their home .
the reserve is part of an important wildlife corridor which stretches from the tyne and the ouseburn , through to jesmond dene and on to gosforth park . nearby there is also killingworth lake , wheetslade cp and within a short drive the rising sun cp and big waters .
one of the best wildlife watching sites in newcastle and tyne & wear , this private nature reserve is important for its rare fauna and flora .
the gosforth park nature reserve , a tiny patch of land adjacent to newcastle racecourse , with a shallow lake and lots of reeds , has been in the news lately ( we’ll get to why in a minute ) , and we realised we knew almost nothing about it : what it is , why it’s important , and who its protectors , the natural history society of northumbria , actually are .
arena racing company includes : bath , brighton , chepstow , doncaster , ffos las , fontwell park , great yarmouth , hereford , lingfield park resort , newcastle , royal windsor , sedgefield , southwell , uttoxeter , wolverhampton and worcester racecourses .
this is a fantastic opportunity to see this private nature reserve on the edge of newcastle , which is one of the best wildlife watching sites in the area .
‘the history of the nature reserve is quite an interesting one , ’ says james , ‘and the society came to it by accident rather than by design . ’
this private nature reserve opens its doors for the day . local experts will be on hand to talk to visitors about birds , plants , mammals and insects .
gosforth park nature reserve is in the northern suburbs of newcastle - upon - tyne . it is a last oasis of wetland , reedbed and native woodland that provides a home to otters , bittern , kingfisher , red squirrel , badger , etc . in an area that was once subject to coal mining and more recently has provided land for homes and business . it is a fantastic wildlife refuge close to where people live .
‘charles brandling , who was head of the family , overindulged in coal speculation and they effectively went bust , ’ explains james , ‘so they sold the estate in 1852 and it was sold again in 1880 to the high gosforth park company which built a horse racing track . ’
a barely - known nature reserve adjacent to newcastle racecourse is being vigorously protected by a society of volunteers which dates back nearly 200 years . living north put their wellies on to find out why
the reserve is supported by a team of volunteers and an unpaid warden , whom lives adjacent to the main entrance . access to gosforth park nature reserve is strictly on a ‘members only’ basis only , however there is often at least one open day every year . non - members can also purchase day passes from the nhsn office . all the birding hides on the site are locked , and members can obtain keys for a small deposit . the nhsn office is in the great north museum in the centre of newcastle . for more information please visit urltoken
the nature reserve is also the focus of research by local naturalists who have made attempts to record the botanical , invertebrate and vertebrate species present on the reserve and in doing so improve our knowledge of the distribution and habitat requirements of species in the north east .
note to drivers : there are current road closures on the roads that lead from south gosforth to the reserve , which look to be completed in july 2018 . you can find out more information on newcastle council’s website here .
come and enjoy this fantastic private nature reserve which will be open to the public for one day on saturday 30 june 2018 . free . drop - in anytime between 10 . 30am and 3 . 30pm .
we welcome research and student projects on the reserve . if you would like to carry out a research project in the reserve please contact the society office .
for directions to the reserve and how to get there , please click here .
success will be local schools visiting the reserve regulary to study the natural sciences .
organised by the natural history society of northumbria in partnership with eric north east the event will have local experts on hand to talk to any visitors wanting to know more about the birds , plants , mammals and insects who populate the nature reserve .
there are 3 wildlife hides in the reserve , which provide a great opportunity for visitors and photographers to watch birds and animals in their natural habitat without disturbing them . download the reserve visitor leaflet for a map of the reserve , showing the hides and footpaths .
gosforth park has become legendary for impressive and regular views of bitterns . this uncommon and usually very secretive bird is rarely seen , which makes every experience that much more rewarding . other species to watch out for include common tern , great spotted and green woodpeckers , jack snipe and treecreeper . there is an area of wetland , adjacent to the reserve which at times has attracted bean and white - fronted geese . little egret has also been recorded on the rare occasion .
to create facilities at the reserve so that school groups can learn about the natural world .
back at gosforth park , the land’s new owners had built their race track but neglected the woods and lake . in 1924 a member of the society , we beck , bought the shooting rights for the land to protect its wildlife . when he died he bequeathed the rights to the society , who took it upon themselves to manage the site ( now their primary role ) . that was in 1929 .
the reserve is managed mainly by society members working as volunteers . for the past 80 years they have been improving the habitat on the reserve to increase biodiversity and the numbers of uncommon species .
that schools do not want to use the nature reserve . we will work with schools and young people from the start to ensure it meets their needs and is what they want . this will also give them
ownership
of the project and their continued long term involvement .
the area of north newcastle is very mixed with areas of working class and low income households in parts of longbenton contrasting with the middle - class areas of gosforth . this project will benefit children from both backgrounds .
to improve habitats in the reserve for wildlife and so that they can better be used for study .
this small area of mixed woodland and wetland is situated next to a small tributary of the ouse burn , in whitebridge park . the woodland contains a mix of tree species including oak , ash , willow and lime .
the nature reserve is close to newcastle and several schools and is potentially a fantastic resource for young people to learn about the natural world close to where they live . unfortunately there are no facilities at the reserve , such as toilets , hand washing and shelter that are needed for study length visits . we also need to enlarge our small viewing hides so that they can be used by groups of children .
day passes are for non - members or groups who would like to make a single visit to the reserve . there are two ways to obtain a day pass : visit our office in the great north museum : hancock , or at the reserve by paying a small fee in an envelope provided in the reserve’s information hut .
the society bird ringing group carries out a programme of constant - effort ringing in the nature reserve . this involves using mist nets set in standard sites at intervals to catch and ring birds . the data collected contributes to a national database and helps to monitor changes in the abundance and productivity of british birds .
during the winter we supplement natural food at a feeding station so that the reserve can support more woodland birds .
the nhsn regularly organises guided walks and activities at the reserve . please click here to see what’s coming up .
once a year we open the reserve to the public . our next open day will be on saturday 30 june 2018 .
our project will design and build facilities at the reserve that will enable school groups to visit and study the natural world .
» improve existing facilities at the reserve so that they are suitable for school groups , for example creating bigger wildlife viewing hides .
if you encounter any problems at the reserve , please report them to the warden in lake lodge or contact the nhsn office on 0191 208 2790 .
schools having access to a local site to study the natural sciences and regularly taking pupils to learn in the outdoors . we will record the number of school visits and get feedback from schools and young people about their experiences and how it has helped their learning and appreciation of nature .
rare species are sometimes seen in the reserve , if you are fortunate enough to see one please get in touch to let us know before you release the news online .
there is also one more hide , which can be enjoyed as visitors travel around the freshwater and explore the woodland . this is located towards to the left of the reserve .
dogs are not allowed in the reserve , even on leads . the collection of any kind of plant or animal is forbidden . please take only photographs and leave only footprints .
the information hut is a small hut just past lake lodge inside the reserve entrance . the hut contains information about the nhsn , including a folder where you can record your wildlife sightings before you leave . this is also the best way to find out what wildlife has been seen recently , so it is good idea to check the sightings log before you head off into the reserve .
the reserve is very important for its insects , including species of beetle , bee and moth which are nationally and regionally rare . in summer 9 species of butterfly can usually be seen , including the purple hairstreak .
please enter your sightings in the logbook ( in the members’ hut at the entrance ) as this helps us to monitor changes in species over many years and helps us to protect the reserve and surrounding habitats from development .
wildfowl present can include gadwall , goldeneye , goosander , mallard , pochard , teal , tufted duck , scaup , shoveler and wigeon . little grebes also love the reserve and can be very entertaining in the spring / summer months .
the reserve has hides and boardwalks that enable visitors to view waterfowl , waders and reed bed birds at one of the best bird watching sites in the newcastle area . woodland trails and a feeding station provide an opportunity to see a wide range of woodland birds , mammals and flowers . there is also a small wildflower meadow . the reserve has a population of roe deer , red squirrel , fox and badger and if you are lucky you might see an otter .
the only entrance / exit to the reserve is through the garden of the cottage known as lake lodge , which belongs to the nhsn and is the home of our warden . there is parking in old salter’s lane near to the lodge .
on top of that we also have a programme of work to improve habitats on the reserve which include woodland regeneration and pond creation . finally , we have to maintain a system of trails and wildlife watching hides and discourage poaching , trespass and disturbance .
for details of facilities and hazards at the reserve , please click here . paths and boardwalks can often be wet , muddy and slippery , so wear appropriate footwear and clothing and take care . visitors with disabilities or access needs please click here for information .
roe deer are commonly seen and there are breeding red squirrel , fox , badger , stoat , weasel , wood mouse and bank vole . the reserve is an important site for bats with 7 species recorded including daubenton’s , noctule , nathusius pipistrelle and brandt’s .
woodland management to provide a diverse range of habitats and wide range of species , eg young , medium and old woodland stands ; deciduous and coniferous . this includes planting new trees . the woodland is managed to encourage native species to thrive and to provide abundant dead wood for the population of uncommon invertebrates found on the reserve .
we keep a log book at the reserve for members to record their sightings and these records also prove valuable in building up a picture of population changes . these records are passed to the environmental records information centre ( eric ) north east to form part of our regional knowledge of the natural world and to help with conservation efforts .
next they did what estate owners do : they landscaped the grounds , created a 50 - acre lake for boating ( the wreck of a victorian pleasure boat is still there today – it’s marked on archeological maps ) and planted woodland ( most of the trees in the reserve are between 150 and 200 years old ) . unfortunately , the victorian dream eluded the brandlings .
so we got in touch and an email came back from james littlewood , the society’s director , inviting us for a chat at his office in the hancock museum ( the society owns the museum , which it leased to newcastle university in the 1960s , and which is now managed by tyne & wear archives ) . sitting in the boardroom , he told us about the society and the reserve .
it takes a lot of managing . one of the problems is that the lake is shallow , so it silts up quickly and requires regular dredging . also , reeds need to be cut , trees need pruning , and the three hides need to be maintained . doing all of this is a team of about 100 volunteers – ‘i would say the reserve is more or less managed by volunteers , ’ james tells us .
oh yes , we’ve gone this far and barely mentioned the wildlife . among the creatures that call the reserve home ( or at least treat it like a hotel ) are badgers , foxes , red squirrels , roe deer , otters , birds of prey such as buzzards and kestrels , waterfowl , waders , owls and rare insects – hence over half the site was designated a site of special scientific interest in the 1970s , and hence members have recently been battling against nearby development .
another important member of the team is the warden , who lives in a cottage at the entrance to the reserve , monitoring who’s coming and going . it’s not public land , it’s private , and only accessible to those with a family membership ( £30 per year ) or a day permit ( £3 . 50 ) , although there is an open day when anyone can visit ( saturday 11th july ; 10 . 30am to 3 . 30pm ) during which experts talk about the flora and fauna .
as the uk’s leading racecourse group we are scheduled to state 522 race meetings in 2018 , including some of the biggest fixtures in the sporting calendar . the atmosphere , excitement , and exceptional surroundings make fun days out for family and friends all year round .
as well as 15 racecourses arc owns and operates newcastle and sunderland greyhound stadia .
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registered in england and wales no . 07997040 . registered office millbank tower , 21 - 24 millbank , london , sw1p 4qp
below you can read a selected history of the society . if you would like to learn more then why not visit our library and archives ?
marmaduke tunstall frs ( 1743 - 1790 ) , a collector of natural history and ethnographic items from all over the world , inherited the family estate at wycliffe , a village on the south bank of the river tees in north yorkshire .
tunstall brought his museum from london to wycliffe - on - tees in yorkshire .
thomas bewick and marmaduke tunstall were never to meet , yet in 1789 tunstall commissioned one of bewick’s best known engravings , that of the chillingham bull .
edward sheldon inherited the tunstall estates when marmaduke tunstall died in 1790 ( aged 47 ) and he sold the museum , library and pictures . tunstall’s friend george allan ( 1736 - 1800 ) , a solicitor of blackwell grange near darlington in county durham , bought part of the contents of the museum in 1791 for £700 .
the collections occupied two large rooms at blackwell grange and allan opened his museum to the public in june 1792 , receiving 7 , 327 visitors in three and a half years . he added considerably to the wycliffe collections .
after tunstall’s death in 1790 , bewick visited wycliffe to make use of the extensive collection of stuffed birds spending two months there in 1791 . a number of drawings he made at the time are now in the great north museum : hancock although he only used a few of them to illustrate his history of british birds , preferring to draw from life if possible . some of the bird specimens he used can also still be seen on display in the museum today .
the newcastle upon tyne literary & philosophical society was founded in 1793 and , in its early years , members and friends gave a number of donations of natural history and ethnographical items .
this included the first ever wombat to reach britain from australia ( preserved in spirit ) , a gift from john hunter , governor of new south wales . this species was first described by thomas bewick and the specimen can still be seen on display in the museum today . another notable donation was our mummy , bakt hor nekt , given by thomas coates of haydon bridge in 1821 .
george allan died , the allan museum , housed at blackwell grange , was left to his son .
the society of antiquaries was formed – the first daughter society of the literary and philosophical society of newcastle upon tyne .
george townshend fox was a businessman and a prominent member of the literary & philosophical society of newcastle upon tyne .
when the allan museum came up for sale in 1822 it was fox who advanced the £400 to the society for the purchase .
the magnificent collections made their way from darlington in a sprung glass - wagon , and despite a strong gale on gateshead fell arrived safely in newcastle . they were stored for a while until the literary & philosophical society’s new building opened in 1825 .
in 1827 fox published a catalogue of the collections called a synopsis of the newcastle museum .
by 1828 there were considerable differences between the members of the literary & philosophical society who were interested in natural history and the collections and those interested in the library .
in order to resolve this conflict , supporters of the museum met in february 1829 and drew up proposals for the formation of a separate society . on the 19th august 1829 the natural history society of northumberland , durham and newcastle upon tyne ( now the natural history society of northumbria ) was formed with the objectives of the pursuit of natural sciences and the development of the museum . it began with a membership of 134 .
the society’s first lecture was given on the 20th october 1829 at the literary and philosophical society , westgate road , newcastle . the subject was on the identification of a new species of swan , discovered by richard wingate , a taxidermist from newcastle . the swan was later given the name bewick’s swan cygnus bewickii in memory of the celebrated tyneside engraver and naturalist , thomas bewick .
by 1831 the new society’s collections has grown and they had to rent a storeroom .
in 1832 subscriptions were raised in order to build a new museum on land behind the literary & philosophical society’s building ( now part of the central station ) , which was opened to the public in 1834 and was known as the newcastle museum .
the natural history society experimented with opening the museum to the public , one evening a month , free of charge . this was extremely popular and other museums in england copied the idea .
the collections grew and the popularity of the society’s museum increased with over 44 , 000 visitors in 1848 .
in 1846 some members of the natural history society , who were interested in field outings ( including john hancock ) , formed the tyneside naturalists’ field club within the society to record birds , plants and geology etc in the field .
in 1878 plans were announced for the building of an even bigger and better museum . john hancock , a local naturalist and taxidermist , was the main organiser and fundraiser for the project ; the new building owed its existence mainly to his energy and personal influence .
john hancock died aged 83 years . the museum was renamed the hancock museum in memory of him and his brother albany hancock ( d . 1873 ) in 1891 .
during the second world war the society had to make special arrangements to protect the museum and its collections from bombing . you can read about the hancock museum at war by following this link to our archives section click here .
following the development of british bird ringing in the first half of the 20th century , members of the society had been involved in catching and ringing seabirds on the farne islands . in 1949 the society became the official ringer for birds on the islands and this important research work continues today . in 1951 the society began a scheme to tag grey seals on the farne islands and to monitor breeding success . the result has been the longest period of continuous research in any british grey seal colony . the society still publishes an annual report for the farne islands in partnership with the national trust .
in 1961 - 62 the society played an important part in the birth of the northumberland and durham naturalists’ trust , which later went on to become the northumberland wildlife trust and durham wildlife trust . since then we have worked closely together and shared many trustees and members .
the hancock museum closed its doors to the public in april 2006 and was transformed into the award winning great north museum : hancock , which re - opened in may 2009 . as a result of the redevelopment the society offices , library and archives are now located in a modern purpose built extension at the rear of the museum .
the natural history society of northumbria still owns the great north museum : hancock building , land and its many varied collections and continues to lease them to the university of newcastle on whose behalf they are administered by tyne & wear archives and museums .
to celebrate our 100th birthday the society’s then curator of the hancock museum , t . russell goddard , published a book , the history of the natural history society of northumberland , durham and newcastle upon tyne 1829 - 1929 . you can now download this book in sections : pages 1 - 24 , pages 24 - 61 , pages 62 - 95 , pages 96 - 131 , pages 132 - 165 , pages 166 - 195 and a new index . alternatively this book is available from our library .
to celebrate our 150th birthday , the society’s then honorary secretary , grace hickling mbe , published the natural history society of northumbria 1929 - 1979 . this book is available from our library and we also have some copies for sale .
our archives contain thousands of letters , photos , notebooks , diaries and society documents dating back to the start of the 19th century . to find out more about our archive material please click here .
local experts will be on hand to talk to visitors about birds , plants , mammals and insects . there will be pond dipping , small mammals , wildlife spotting from hides and much more . drop in anytime between 10 . 30am – 3 . 30pm , suitable for all ages and abilities ( sorry no dogs ) .
please note that the ground can be wet , muddy and uneven , so please wear suitable footwear .
most of this work is carried out by volunteers and through funding that we receive from defra as part of a higher level stewardship grant . however we also rely on donations from society members and the public to support this work .
de - silting of ponds to improve habitat for open water species such as wildfowl , kingfisher , common terns and otters .
cutting of reeds on a rotational basis to ensure healthy reedbeds and increase the populations of reedbed species such as reed warbler , water rail and bittern .
restoration of lowland meadow to allow plant species such as marsh orchids to flourish and provide habitats for butterflies .
creating artificial habitats to help boost some species , such as a breeding platform for common terns and black - headed gulls . nest boxes are built , installed , cleaned and repaired to increase the breeding populations of hole nesting birds . bat boxes are installed to provide roosting habitat and carry out bat research .
removing invasive non - native species which have a harmful impact on our native wildlife . this includes rhododendron , himalayan balsam , sycamore , turkey oak , american mink and grey squirrel ( we have the last remaining population of red squirrels in newcastle ) .
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meanwhile , the natural history society of northumbria was evolving . james traces their history back to yorkshire’s marmaduke tunstall , an 18th century natural history collector . part of his collection was bought by newcastle’s lit & phil society in 1822 , and in 1829 a splinter group of 134 members formed the natural history society of northumbria .
‘we took the museum collections with us , ’ explains james , ‘and we continued to add to them and set up a museum to house them in , which was opened to the public in 1834 and known as the newcastle museum – it was at the back of where the lit and phil is now . ’
it’s been demolished since . the society continued collecting artefacts and it became clear they needed a bigger building . so in 1884 , using cash from the society’s members , including lord armstrong , they built what became the hancock museum ( it was renamed in honour of john and albany hancock in 1891 ) and rehoused their collection there ( they leased it to the university in the 1960s because they couldn’t afford to run it anymore ) .
one of their most impressive achievements is a new hide , which was opened in may by one of the society’s famous members , matt ridley ( the hide was named after his father , matthew ridley ) . the hide was funded from grants and contributions from members , and built entirely by members , who also laid 400 metres of boardwalk over the wetland .
‘we were very fortunate in that we had a former joiner and a current joiner , and a few others who’ve got some decent diy skills , ’ explains james . ‘and we had the designs drawn up by a local firm of architects who gave them free of charge – kiosk architecture & design and ec architects . they designed it so it could be built by volunteers and obviously we had some skilled volunteers to get all the angles right . ’
‘we have to keep it private , ’ explains james , ‘because it’s on the edge of newcastle and close to so many people . if it was open to the public there’d just be too much disturbance and damage to wildlife . it’s an important wildlife site . ’
one recent proposal for hundreds of homes didn’t go ahead , but they lost a couple of other battles – two nearby schemes , comprising several hundred homes and a leisure development , got the go - ahead . it’s a long fight though , and they won’t give up .
‘we’ve been fighting developments in this area for 30 or 40 years , ’ says james , ‘actually going back to the 1950s . ’
the guardians of this little patch of north east wildlife have been protecting it for nearly a century – good on them .
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over recent years , the site has benefited from some major restoration work which has seen the construction of a flagship new 2 - storey bird watching hide close to the waters edge and a wondrous new feeding station which can be found close to the visitors entrance .
in 2014 a ferruginous duck came to stay , much to the delight of the local birdwatchers . another major highlight during the year involved a short stay from a rare little bittern , which brought ‘twitchers’ from far and wide . in march 2017 a ferruginous was discovered again , which is thought to be the same wild bird which has been enjoying the facilities at wwt washington .
all the birding hides on the site are locked . nhsn members can obtain keys for a small deposit . for more information please visit urltoken
there is a new eco - toilet in the wood , which members can use , using the same key , they use to access the bird hides .
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urltoken
northumberland wildlife trust ltd - registered in england and wales , reg . charity number 221819 , reg . company number 717813
local experts will be on hand to talk about birds , plants , mammals and insects .
the ground can be wet , muddy and uneven . please wear suitable footwear .
please keep to footpaths to avoid damaging the flora and always carry your membership card or day pass with you , or you may be asked to leave by one of our wardens .
a day pass costs £3 . 50 per person aged 18 and over , and £1 . 00 per person aged under - 18 . visiting groups must make a booking in advance through the nhsn office . the office is open monday - friday 10am - 5pm , and can be contacted by phone on 0191 208 2790 or email at nhsn @ ncl . ac . uk .
a hide key gives visitors access to the three hides and the eco - loo , which are kept locked . hide keys can be hired from the office for a deposit of £30 , which will be refunded on return of the key to the office .
creating education facilities at one of newcastle ' s best wildlife sites so that young people in the region can be inspired by and learn about the natural world where they live .
» work with schools and young people to design facilities that they want and that have no impact on the environment .
» create new ponds for amphibians and so that young people can study pond ecosystems .
success will be new ponds created with study facilities , such as pond dipping access and positive feedback from teachers and pupils .
if you wish to remain anonymous during your research , the big give is happy to contact a charity on your behalf . please click here for further details about this service .
please note that the ground can often be wet , muddy and uneven . please ensure you are wearing suitable footwear .
wetland species include birds such as bittern , kingfisher , water rail , reed warbler , grasshopper warbler , reed bunting , common tern ( breeding platform ) , grey heron , wigeon , shoveler , teal , pochard , snipe , grey wagtail and little grebe . at certain times of the year there are spectacular roosts of large flocks of starling , swallow and jackdaw .
otters are regularly seen and there are healthy populations of frog , toad and smooth newt but our water shrews are much harder to see . several species of dragonflies are present in the summer , including broad - bodied chaser .
unusual wetland migrants in recent years have included little bittern , ferruginous duck , marsh harrier , little egret , garganey , whooper swan , white - fronted goose and ruddy shelduck .
woodland species include birds such as green and great spotted woodpeckers , tawny owl , buzzard , sparrowhawk , nuthatch , jay , treecreeper , woodcock , siskin and garden warbler . our feeding station hide is a great place to see woodland birds up close from october to march .
england’s second largest colony of coral - root orchid is found in the wet woodland and a viewing area is created in late may - june for this rare species . other interesting plants include young’s helleborine , broad - leaved helleborine , northern marsh orchid , common spotted orchid and a range of meadow species . the woodland is a green carpet of ferns in the summer . in autumn there is a wide variety of mushrooms and fungi including some uncommon species .
these records are also passed to the north - east environmental records information centre to form part of our regional knowledge of the natural world and to help with conservation efforts .
the cheese loft café , blagdon - 3 . 92 mile ( s ) away
the commissioners quay inn , blyth - 3 . 23 mile ( s ) away
ghosts n ghouls disco , newcastle upon tyne - 4 . 21 mile ( s ) away
wedding open days , newcastle upon tyne - 4 . 21 mile ( s ) away


qwest corporation is a bell operating company owned by centurylink .

it was formerly named u s west communications , inc. from 1991 to 2000 , and also formerly named the mountain states telephone and telegraph company from 1911 to 1991 .

it includes the former operations of malheur bell , northwestern bell and pacific northwest bell as well .

it is one of two of the original 22 bell operating companies ( the other frontier west virginia ) not to be owned by a baby bell formed in 1984 .

qwest corporation

at & t inc . ; sprint nextel corporation ; qwest communications international inc . ; bellsouth corporation .
microwave acquisition corporation , appellant , v . federal communications commission , appellee , qwest communications corporation , intervenor .
ctbb : summary for qwest corporation 6 . 5 % notes du - yahoo finance
ctz stock quote - qwest corporation 6 . 625 % notes due 2055 price - nasdaq
qwest corporation , appellee , v . iowa state board of tax review , appellant .
principal competitors : bellsouth corporation ; bell atlantic corporation ; mci worldcom , inc . ; at & t corp .
ask a question about working or interviewing at qwest corporation . our community is ready to answer .
domestic section 214 application filed for acquisition of assets of qwest communications corporation , and qwest interprise america , inc . , by covad communications company
: : qwest corporation agrees to sell debt securities . centurylink inc - co ' s subisidary qwest corporation agreed to sell $ 575 million aggregate principal amount of 6 . 75 pct notes due 2057 .
metronet services corporation ; metronet telemanagement corporation , plaintiffs - appellants , v . us west communications , defendant - appellee .
us west was acquired by qwest in 2000 . in 2011 , qwest was acquired by centurylink , an independent telephone provider , bringing qwest corporation , originally mountain bell , under its control .
qwest corporation , which also operates under the name qwest , is located in missoula , montana . this organization primarily operates in the telephone communication , except radio business / industry within the communications sector . qwest corporation employs approximately 80 people at this branch location .
qwest corporation : covenant quality post - sale snapshot : $ 575m 6 . 75 % senior notes due 2057
qwest corporation : covenant quality post - sale snapshot : $ 850m 6 . 5 % senior notes due 2056
full title : domestic section 214 application filed for acquisition of assets of qwest communications corporation , and qwest interprise america , inc . , by covad communications company
therefore , comparing the nps score of qwest corporation with your own without any further context is not that useful .
domestic section 214 application filed for acquisition of assets of qwest communications corporation , and qwest interprise america , inc . , by covad communications company | federal communications commission
arb 512 - in the matter of pacific bell wireless northwest , llc , dba cingular wireless , and qwest corporation . adopting the terms of the arb 238 interconnection agreement between qwest corporation and sprint communications company lp , submitted . . .
in 2000 , us west was acquired by qwest , and us west communications was renamed qwest corporation . malheur bell , however , continued to operate independently of its parent .
since acquisition by centurylink , qwest corporation has issued bonds traded on the new york stock exchange under the ctq and ctw tickers .
qwest corporation , plaintiff - appellee , v . arizona corporation commission ; jeff hatch - miller , in his official capacity as chairman of the arizona corporation commission ; mike gleason , in his official capacity as a member of the arizona corporation commission ; kristin k . mayes , in her official capacity as a member of the arizona corporation commission ; william a . mundell , in his official capacity as a member of the arizona corporation commission ; marc spitzer , in his official capacity as a member of the arizona corporation commission ; dieca communications , doing business as covad communications company , defendants - appellants .
qwest corporation , plaintiff - appellee , v . arizona corporation commission ; jeff hatch - miller , in his official capacity as chairman of the arizona corporation commission ; mike gleason , in his official capacity as a member of the arizona corporation commission ; kristin k . mayes , in her official capacity as a member of the arizona corporation commission ; william a . mundell , in his official capacity as a member of the arizona corporation commission ; marc spitzer , in his official capacity as a member of the arizona corporation commission ; dieca communications , doing business as covad communications company , defendants - appellants .
— qwest interprise america , inc . is the long distance division of qwest that offers long distance telephone services to its qwest corporation customers . formerly u s west interprise america , inc . , it was founded under us west ownership to compete… …
us west was acquired by qwest in june , 2000 for $ 43 . 5 billion . on april 6 , 2011 , qwest was acquired by centurylink , an independent telephone provider , bringing qwest corporation , originally mountain bell , under its control .
bellsouth corporation , a current subsidiary . its two operating companies merged into one :
on april 1 , 2011 , centurylink completed its acquisition of qwest . at that point , qwest corporation became a subsidiary of centurylink and began doing business as centurylink qc effective august 8 , 2011 .
moody ' s lowers long - term ratings of qwest corp . and subsidiaries from a3 to baa2 , qwest communications international and qwest capital funding from baa2 to baa3 . qwest capital funding ' s and qwest corp . ' s short - term ratings lowered to p - 3 . all ratings rema
qwest corporation is headquartered in denver , colorado where it was headquartered since it was formerly mountain bell . it maintains offices in seattle and omaha .
qwest corporation is headquartered in denver , colorado where it was headquartered since it was formerly mountain bell . it maintains offices in seattle and omaha .
2 . reference to qwest in this opinion encompasses qwest ' s predecessors , including u . s . west and pnwb .
consider an example : if qwest corporation sends out nps surveys immediately after purchase , they are tracking their customers ' initial excitement and the checkout experience .
qwest corporation is headquartered in denver , colorado , where it was headquartered since it was formerly mountain bell . it maintains offices in seattle and omaha .
research : rating action : moody ' s lowers long - term ratings of qwest corp . and subsidiaries from a3 to baa2 , qwest communications international and qwest capital funding from baa2 to baa3 . qwest capital funding ' s and qwest corp . ' s short - term ratings lowered to p - 3 . all ratings rema - moody ' s
qwest corporation is one of two bell operating companies to be owned by a company not founded in 1983 as a baby bell . the other is frontier west virginia .
qwest corporation , a colorado corporation , plaintiff - appellant , v . city of portland , an oregon municipal corporation , defendant - appellee , city of happy valley ; city of keizer ; city of north plains ; city of pendleton ; city of redmond ; city of salem ; city of eugene ; city of springfield ; city of ashland , defendants - intervenors - appellees .
the qwest name will continue to be used in denver and other former qwest markets for several months , but eventually will be dropped , centurylink said .
we have estimated the net promoter score of qwest corporation based on the publicly available information including the sentiment of the company - related tweets , 3rd party reviews , and alexa ratings .
qwest corporation is one of two of the original bell operating companies to be owned by a company not founded in 1983 as a baby bell . the other is frontier west virginia .
principal subsidiaries : southwestern bell telephone company ; pacific bell ; ameritech corporation ; cellular one ; nevada bell .
on thursday , may 13 , 2010 , qwest corporation , qwest communications company , llc , qwest ld core’ . , embarq communications , inc . d / b / a century link communications , embarq payphone services , inc . d / b / a centurylink and centurytel solutions , llc filed a joint application (
application
) with the arizona corporation commission (
acc
or
commission
) seeking approval of a merger (
proposed merger
) of their parent corporations qwest communications international inc . (
qwest
) and centurylink , inc . (
centurylink
) .
moody ' s rates qwest corp . $ 250 million sr . unsecured notes ba3 , affirms all other qwest ratings , outlook changed from negative to stable .
we ' ve calculated that the average salary at qwest is $ 60k based on 1 , 845 user - submitted salaries a total of 137 qwest employees gave qwest an average happiness rating of 3 . 7 out of 5 . 0 .
qwest communications international , inc . - senior long - term from baa2 to baa3
centurylink , formerly centurytel , paid about $ 12 billion in stock and assumed nearly $ 12 billion in qwest debt . qwest shareholders received 0 . 1664 centurylink shares , which closed thursday at $ 41 . 55 , for each qwest share .
southwestern bell ( later sbc , now at & t inc . ) , which acquired at & t corporation in 2005
the district court concluded that metronet could not establish qwest ' s control of this facility because the 1996 act requires qwest to provide competitors with interconnection and with access to calling features . responding to metronet ' s argument that qwest ' s exclusionary pricing prevented metronet from reasonable access to qwest ' s local exchange network , the district court concluded :
the qwest - centurylink transaction was a tax - free stock - for - stock exchange , with qwest stockholders getting 0 . 1664 shares of centurylink common stock for each share of qwest stock owned at closing , plus cash paid in lieu of fractional shares .
qwest company information is this your company ? add your own content to this page .
on tuesday , january 18 , 2011 , ruco filed its closing legal brief on the proposed merger recommending that the arizona corporation commission approve the settlement agreement reached by qwest , centurylink , acc staff and ruco .
s leading provider of local telephone services . the $ 6 . 6 billion acquisition of contel corporation in 1990 nearly doubled gte
southwestern bell corporation , a holding company , officially takes ownership of southwestern bell telephone company following the breakup of at & t .
karlis , richard director marketing corporate relations qwest corporation 1801 california st , 50th floor denver co 80202 - 2658 united states rich . karlis @ urltoken office : + 1 303 896 4465 fax : + 1 303 896 4982
on 6 / 31 / 2000 , u s west communications group , the parent and sole shareholders of u s west communications , inc . , merged with and into qwest communications international , inc . further , on 7 / 6 / 2000 , u s west communications , inc . was renamed qwest corporation .
moody ' s rates qwest corp . new notes baa3 ; raises centurylink ' s sgl rating
combined , centurylink and qwest employed about 7 , 400 in colorado prior to the merger .
description arb 512 - in the matter of pacific bell wireless northwest , llc , dba cingular wireless , and qwest corporation . adopting the terms of the arb 238 interconnection agreement between qwest corporation and sprint communications company lp , submitted pursuant to section 252 ( i ) of the telecommunications act of 1996 . filed by carla butler . adoption filed jointly , considered effective on the date filed pursuant to oar 860 - 016 - 0025 ( 3 ) .
at & t teleholdings , inc . ( formerly ameritech corporation ) , a current subsidiary , also includes now defunct snet and pacific telesis
moody ' s rates qwest corp . proposed sr . unsec . notes ba3 and qwest communicaton int ' l proposed sr . unsec . notes b3 ; affirms all other ratings ; outlook remains stable
qwest corporation is the single bell operating company of qwest communications international , inc . it was formerly named u s west communications , inc . from 1991 to 2000 , and also formerly named the mountain states telephone & telegraph company from 1911 to 1991 . it includes the former operations of northwestern bell and pacific northwest bell as well .
even this , however , would not save at & t ; corporation . it would soon be absorbed by one of the baby bells ,
verizon communications is formed by the merger of bell atlantic and gte . the company purchases onepoint communications corporation , and is renamed verizon avenue .
s third - party maintenance business , bell atlantic sealed its position as the leader in maintenance of both ibm and digital equipment corporation systems .
on december 11 , qwest filed an amended protest acknowledging an agreement between the parties which reduced the total assessed value of qwest ' s property to $ 785 , 000 , 000 , while preserving qwest ' s constitutional arguments . qwest took the position that the dissimilar tax treatment it received in comparison to other similarly situated telecommunications companies amounted to unconstitutional discrimination . 3 specifically , qwest argued that the tax scheme which taxed ilecs for the value of their personal property , but not cldtcs and wireless providers , violated qwest ' s rights under the equal protection clauses of the iowa and united states constitutions .
some ten years later , the city of portland notified qwest that it was revoking qwest ' s long - standing permit to use its public right - of - way . the parties entered into unfruitful negotiations for a new permit . in the interim , the city of portland issued qwest a temporary revocable permit ( trp ) allowing qwest to continue to use its public right - of - way .
centurylink shares fell 17 cents , or 0 . 4 percent , to $ 41 . 38 in morning trading friday . qwest shareholders are getting 0 . 1664 shares of centurylink stock for each qwest share .
in addition to operating the nationwide network , qwest provided local phone and broadband service in 14 states .
harlow claims that in his prior negotiations with anderl over other litigation matters and business agreements , anderl had either acted on her own authority or had made a deal after speaking with an officer of u s west . qwest claims that following its merger with u s west on june 30 , 2000 , it implemented a new policy for qwest and its subsidiaries designating certain officers as the sole authorized signatories able to bind the company or a subsidiary . according to qwest general counsel tempest , “ [ a ] t no time did any of the designated signatories authorized to bind the qwest corporation approve the purported settlement agreement [ between qwest and metronet ] . ”
s largest independent computer maintenance organization by 1990 , able to service some 500 brands of computers . with the january 1990 purchase of control data corporation
here’s a bunch of contact info for qwest executives , lifted straight from their company directory . got an issue with a residential landline or dsl ? problem with qwest iq networking products ? concern about qwest business related network support ? concern about qwest marketing ? need to know who to send a lawsuit ? just need to get a message straight to the ceo ? inside , executive contacts for all of the above .
qwest shares have been trading near parity with the trade - in value since the deal was announced in may , but the closing gives qwest shareholders a boost in dividends . each centurylink share carries an annual dividend of $ 2 . 90 , whereas the corresponding amount of qwest shares yielded $ 1 . 92 .
in colorado , there ' s little overlap between qwest and centurylink . the latter on its own served scattered , rural areas of the state . but centurylink is more of a presence in other qwest markets .
moody ' s upgrades qwest communications international , inc . ' s sr . unsec . rating to baa1 . confirms qwest capital funding ( baa1 sr . unsec . , prime - 2 for commercial paper ) and qwest communications , inc . ( a2 sr . unsec . and prime - 1 for commercial paper ) .
the arizona corporation commission ( “acc” ) and dieca communications , inc . , d / b / a covad communications company , appeal the district court ' s entry of summary judgment in favor of qwest corporation in its action under the 1996 act challenging the acc ' s arbitration order . we affirm the district court ' s decision and hold that the act bars the acc from insisting qwest ' s interconnection agreement with covad include section 271 access or pricing obligations or provide for element unbundling that the fcc has lifted .
qwest corporation v . city of happy valley ; city of keizer ; city of north plains ; city of pendleton ; city of redmond ; city of salem ; city of eugene ; city of springfield ; city of ashland , defendants - intervenors - appellees .
baer , richard n evp - gen counsel legal qwest corporation 1801 california st , 5200 denver co 80202 - 2658 united states rich . baer @ urltoken office : + 1 303 992 2811 assistant dominguez , christine sr executive admin assistant + 1 303 992 5021
qwest / centurylink filed its direct testimony on the proposed merger on monday , may , 24 , 2010 .
the proposed sale of us west ' s rural areas to citizens utilities still must be approved by the corporation commission , and mundell says the corporation commission will
look carefully
at whether us west should be required to invest in modern equipment in bisbee and other rural areas before the sale goes through .
on december 14 , 2009 , malheur bell was merged into its corporate parent , qwest corporation , which was purchased by centurylink in 2010 . malheur bell was the last former formerly bell system company that continued to use the bell logo in its official corporate logo .
mueller , edward ( ed ) a chairman and ceo ceo / coo qwest corporation 1801 california st denver co 80202 - 2658 united states ed . mueller @ urltoken office : + 1 303 992 1414 assistant houston , brenda l manager administration + 1 303 992 1414
the company’s board of directors includes current centurylink board members and four from qwest’s board . those joining from qwest are edward a . mueller , charles l . biggs , michael j . roberts and james a . unruh .
four qwest board members are joining the centurylink board : edward a . mueller , who was qwest ' s former ceo , as well as charles l . biggs , michael j . roberts and james a . unruh .
qwest corporation v . city of happy valley ; city of keizer ; city of north plains ; city of pendleton ; city of redmond ; city of salem ; city of eugene ; city of springfield ; city of ashland , defendants - intervenors - appellees . | findlaw
in march 1990 , the largest merger in the history of the telecommunications industry united two former u . s . competitors , gte corporation and contel corporation , under the gte name . with a market value of $ 28 billion , the merged company became a telecommunications powerhouse . designed to take advantage of the two companies
moody ' s upgrades qwest ' s corporate family rating to b1 , confirms qwest corp . ' s sr . unsec . at ba3 , and assigns b3 to new sr . conv . issue . rating outlook is stable .
5 . a pbx allows four - digit internal calling and can provide some features . external dialing is done through qwest ' s local network using a “trunk line” that connects the customer ' s pbx to the qwest network .
the combined company will have about 15 million phone lines , or as many as qwest alone had in 2005 .
qwest has just been through a round of job cuts , reducing its staff by about 6 percent in 2010 .
24 . it is also undisputed that qwest imposed per location pricing in order to eliminate the resale market for centrex plus . however , we note that evidence of intent behind qwest ' s conduct is relevant only to the extent that it helps us understand the likely effect of qwest ' s conduct . microsoft , 253 f . 3d at 59 .
metronet filed suit against qwest on january 5 , 2000 , seeking money damages and injunctive relief for alleged violations of section 2 of the sherman act . 15 metronet asserted three causes of action under section 2 . first , metronet claimed qwest maintained a monopoly over the market for small business local phone services in the seattle / tacoma area . second , metronet claimed qwest attempted to monopolize that market . third , metronet claimed qwest denied metronet access to an essential facility .
s local phone service , its yellow pages directory publishing division , due to a disagreement , began to compete with reuben h . donnelly corporation , its previous publisher .
in 1984 , northwestern bell became part of us west , which was bought by qwest communications international in june 2000 .
new york , september 05 , 2002 - - moody ' s investors service left the debt ratings of qwest corporation and its subsidiaries ( all rated ba3 ) on review for downgrade and lowered the debt ratings of qwest communications international (
qci
) and qwest capital funding (
qcf
) from b2 to caa1 following the company ' s announcement that it had successfully amended its $ 3 . 4 billion bank facility and obtained a new $ 750 million senior secured facility . all ratings remain under review for downgrade .
mccarthy , thomas e . , the history of gte : the evolution of one of america ' s great corporations , stamford , conn . , gte corporation , 1990 .
research : rating action : moody ' s upgrades qwest communications international , inc . ' s sr . unsec . rating to baa1 . confirms qwest capital funding ( baa1 sr . unsec . , prime - 2 for commercial paper ) and qwest communications , inc . ( a2 sr . unsec . and prime - 1 for commercial paper ) . - moody ' s
on july 14 , 2015 , eltopia communications , llc ( eltopia ) filed with the commission a petition for enforcement of its interconnection agreement with qwest corporation d / b / a centurylink corporation ( centurylink ) . the provisions of the agreement at issue related to eltopia ' s allegations of 1 ) failure to agree on a new relative use factor ( ruf ) , 2 ) failure to implement the ruf , and 3 ) failure to comply with the dispute resolution clause .
this review is pointless since qwest no longer exists and i never worked for centurylink which is the company that bought them .
mueller will not have an executive role in the new company , and several other top qwest executives also are leaving management .
, and resisted qwest ' s takeover . qwest was a much smaller company in terms of employees and market capitalization when it obtained control of the regional bell operating company . because u s west ' s stock was trading at very high prices during the
centurylink said today the qwest brand will be switched out in the next several months . five top qwest executives will join the new company and be based in denver , which will be one of six regional headquarters and home to the business markets group .
qwest challenges the cities ' ordinances in two ways . first , qwest argues that the cities ' ordinances are similar in scope and substance to those preempted in city of auburn . as was the case in city of auburn , qwest contends that these ordinances , taken as a whole , are preempted by § 253 . qwest also makes a more na rrow challenge , asserting that § 253 prohibits the cities from basing right - of - way fees on qwest ' s gross revenues . in support of this argument , qwest posits that § 253 allows local officials to recover only the costs of the use of the right - of - way , rather than to assess fees based on the gross revenues of the telecommunication providers . each challenge will be discussed separately .
the review for downgrade will focus on : 1 ) a thorough review of qwest ' s liquidity to assure adequacy should there be material delays in the dex sale ; 2 ) an analysis of the effects of the sec and department of justice investigations on qwest ' s ability to retain and grow customers and suppliers ; 3 ) qwest ' s operating performance in light of uncertain industry trends ; 4 ) some resolution or clear direction resulting from the sec investigation into the company ' s accounting practices and the department of justice ' s criminal probe ; and 5 ) the ability of the company to make significant additional progress in deleveraging . in addition , the review will focus on some unanswered questions with respect to qwest corporation , including : 1 ) which affiliate now holds the $ 2 . 4 billion short - term note owed by qwest wireless ( a wholly owned subsidiary of qwest corp . ) and under what circumstances is the note payable , and 2 ) what limitations have been placed on the ability of qwest corp . to upstream asset sale proceeds to qci and qcf .
centurylink today completed its $ 24 billion acquisition of denver - based qwest , an epic merger that uproots a historic colorado icon .
concerns regarding any qwest business - related network support ( ds1 , ds3 , ethernet services , trouble and repair , etc . )
the district court concluded that metronet could not establish harm to consumer welfare because market competition prevented qwest from raising the overall price for centrex above competitive levels . the court reached this conclusion based on evidence that the overall price of centrex to consumers dropped significantly . qwest argues similarly on appeal that the decline in the overall price of centrex precludes a finding that qwest raised prices above competitive levels .
description arb 292 ( 3 ) - - in the matter of the third amendment to the interconnection agreement between metstream communications , inc . and qwest corporation , submitted pursuant to section 252 ( e ) of the telecommunications act of 1996 . filed by susan k . roberts ( dated 3 / 27 / 01 ) .
description arb 292 ( 2 ) - - in the matter of the second amendment to the interconnection agreement between metstream communications , inc . and qwest corporation , submitted pursuant to section 252 ( e ) of the telecommunications act of 1996 . filed by susan k . roberts ( dated 3 / 27 / 01 ) .
description arb 292 ( 1 ) - - in the matter of the first amendment to the interconnection agreement between metstream communications , inc . and qwest corporation , submitted pursuant to section 252 ( e ) of the telecommunications act of 1996 . filed by susan k . roberts ( dated 3 / 27 / 01 ) .
kruger , paula executive vice president - mass markets mass markets qwest corporation 1801 california st , 52nd floor denver co 80202 - 2658 united states paula . kruger @ urltoken office : + 1 303 992 4005 fax : + 1 303 296 4252 assistant williams , cheryl a sr executive admin assistant + 1 303 992 4001
lucero , amador b vice president – network ops and eng network services qwest corporation 700 w mineral ave , mna1622 littleton co 80120 - 0000 united states amador . lucero @ urltoken office : + 1 303 707 7168 fax : + 1 303 707 2005 assistant rojo , jaimee b sr administrative assistant + 1 303 707 7192
qwest moved for summary judgment on february 13 , 2001 , and the district court granted qwest ' s motion in its entirety on april 16 , 2001 . metronet now appeals the grant of summary judgment and the denial of its motion to enforce the settlement agreement . 16
here , the relevant market is not in dispute . the parties have defined it as the market for small business local telephone services in the seattle / tacoma area . thus we turn directly to the issue of qwest ' s market share . the principal competing products in the market are qwest ' s 1fb service and the resellers ' centrex service purchased from qwest and resold to small business users . 21
in colorado , the public utilities commission unanimously approved the deal last december , and took the unusual step of asking centurylink to maintain qwest’s level of corporate philanthropy in the state for three years . qwest was known as one of colorado ' s most generous corporate givers .
description arb 512 ( 1 ) - in the matter of pacific bell wireless northwest , llc , dba cingular wireless and qwest corporation first amendment to interconnection agreement , submitted for commission approval pursuant to section 252 ( e ) of the telecommunications act of 1996 . filed by carla butler . comments due = january 14 , 2004 .
tregemba , robert ( bob ) d executive vice president – network operations network services qwest corporation 1801 california st , 5200 denver co 80202 - 2658 united states bob . tregemba @ urltoken office : + 1 303 707 8000 fax : + 1 303 296 0286 assistant eitel , carolyn j sr executive admin assistant + 1 303 707 8013
in 2000 , qwest communications international acquired u s west in a hostile takeover . at the time , u s west was trying to acquire
qwest communications international inc . and centurylink inc . completed their $ 22 billion merger friday , creating a sprawling telecommunications giant serving 37 states .
exceptions to the alj ' s recommendations were filed by qwest and competitive local exchange carrier paetec , on thursday , february 24 , 2011 .
padilla , frederic ( ric ) vp - corp social responsibility corporate relations qwest corporation 1801 california st , 50th floor denver co 80202 - 2658 united states ric . padilla @ urltoken office : + 1 303 896 9338 fax : + 1 303 896 4982 assistant barbour , debra ( debbie ) j executive admin assistant + 1 303 896 5532
in the early and mid - 1990s bell atlantic ' s international division thrived . in 1990 alone the corporation made several significant ventures , which included teaming up with the korean telecommunications authority in a variety of research , marketing , and information exchanges ; joining u . s . west to modernize czechoslovak telecommunications ; and partnering with ameritech and two new zealand companies to acquire the telecom corporation of new zealand .
qwest ' s taxable personal property in iowa includes a substantial amount of property ( perhaps thirty - five to forty - five percent ) that was acquired while qwest was still subject to rate - base / rate - of - return regulation . on november 3 , 2006 , the iowa department of revenue issued a notice of assessment to qwest placing a value on its iowa operating property of $ 1 , 028 , 480 , 000 . qwest elected to challenge the general assembly ' s previous decision to tax the personal property of ilecs but not cldtcs or wireless providers operating in iowa . thus , qwest responded to the 2006 assessment by filing a protest appealing the assessment to the iowa state board of tax review .
in 1990 gte reorganized its activities around three business groups : telecommunications products and services , telephone operations , and electrical products . that same year , gte and contel corporation announced merger plans that would strengthen gte
when harlow called anderl on friday morning , however , anderl informed him she was uncertain she could get the necessary signatures from qwest . anderl reiterated this uncertainty on october 9th , and on october 10th she informed harlow that qwest ' s general counsel had decided not to settle the case .
6 . it is unclear from the record whether small business customers choosing to purchase 1fb lines could also buy features from providers other than qwest .
finally , qwest argues that even if a rational basis existed to support the exemption for newly acquired cldc property when the provision was enacted in 1995 , the growth of competitive forces within the telecommunications industry between 1995 and 2006 has negated the need to provide incentives to encourage competitors . however , the record establishes that although qwest has lost a portion of its market share , qwest remains the dominant local exchange carrier in the markets it serves .
bell atlantic acquired gte and brought it into verizon , creating the nation’s largest wireless company . mci worldcom rebranded as worldcom . qwest purchased us west .
at some point , the giant qwest signs atop the 52 - story former headquarters tower at 1801 california st . in downtown denver will come down .
rebuttal testimony from qwest / centurylink was filed on wednesday , october 27 , 2010 . ruco filed surrebuttal testimony on wednesday , november 10 , 2010 .
, and formed a joint venture with sbc communications to enhance its cellular capabilities in texas . in 1995 the company undertook a 15 - state test of videoconferencing services , as well as a video dialtone ( vdt ) experiment that proposed to offer cable television programming to 900 , 000 homes by 1997 . gte also formed a video programming and interservices joint venture with ameritech corporation , bell - south corporation , sbc communications , and the
qwest corporation - $ 500 million 6 . 5 % notes due 2017 ; $ 600 million 7 . 5 % notes due 2014 ; $ 400 million 7 . 625 % notes due 2015 ; $ 750 million floating rate notes due 2013 ; $ 250 million 7 . 875 % notes due september 1 , 2011 ; $ 575 million 7 . 875 % notes due 2011
gte became the third - largest long - distance telephone company in 1983 through the acquisition of southern pacific communications company . at the same time , southern pacific satellite company was acquired , and the two firms were renamed gte sprint communications corporation and gte spacenet corporation , respectively . through an agreement with the department of justice , gte conceded to keep sprint communications separate from its other telephone companies and limit other gte telephone subsidiaries in certain markets .
qwest and centurylink reported a combined $ 18 . 6 billion in revenue last year , and adjusted free cash flow of about $ 3 . 1 billion .
the prices qwest charges for 1fb lines and for the access component of centrex are regulated by the wutc . the price of the features component of centrex , however , is not , because the wutc has deemed features a competitive service . metronet contends that qwest exercises effective control over the price for centrex access despite wutc regulation , and that qwest has the ability to exclude competitors such as metronet . metronet ' s expert cornell claims that qwest effectively has wide latitude in pricing the access component of centrex because of the wutc ' s limited statutory authority , its limited resources and the constraints of the regulatory process . she contends that the wutc ' s inability to suspend a proposed price decrease unless that decrease is also accompanied by an offsetting price increase means that qwest can decrease the price of centrex access at will . in addition , qwest can effectively raise the price of access by raising the price of the bundled but unregulated features component .
. at the time , u s west was trying to acquire global crossing , and resisted qwest ' s takeover . qwest was a much smaller company in terms of employees and market capitalization when it obtained control of the bell operating company . because u s west ' s stock was trading at very high prices during the
new york , march 05 , 2002 - - moody ' s investors service lowered the long - term ratings of qwest communications international (
qci
qwest
or
the company
) and fully guaranteed qwest capital funding (
qcf
) to baa3 from baa2 . moody ' s also lowered the long - term rating for qci ' s wholly - owned regulated subsidiary , qwest corp . (
corp .
) , to baa2 from a3 . the short - term ratings for both qcf and corp . were lowered to p - 3 from p - 2 . all ratings remain on review for possible further downgrade .
qwest communications international , inc . , a holding company acquired in 2011 ; originally a non - bell company , acquired and merged u s west in 2000 .
the district court was equally dismissive of metronet ' s claim that qwest could control prices . the court reasoned first that “phone service is not the type of commodity that is susceptible to price increase through output reduction . ” the court also reasoned that competition in the wake of the 1996 act would limit qwest ' s ability to control prices for calling features , and that regulation by the wutc “mitigates the extent to which qwest can simply dictate prices for access to phone service . ”
in 1989 , qwest lobbied for adoption of a separate privilege tax for incumbent local telecommunications carriers in exchange for their use of the rights - of - way . the oregon legislature subsequently enacted ors §§ 221 . 505 to 221 . 515 , which authorized oregon cities to assess incumbent local telecommunications carriers fees of up to 7 % of gross revenues . in response to this legislation , the cities entered into nonexclusive agreements with qwest , allowing qwest to use the public rights - of - way . in exchange for this privilege , qwest agreed to pay the cities a fee equal to 7 % of gross revenues earned within the cities ' boundaries . 3
the downgrades reflect concerns about qwest ' s ability to resolve substantial near - term debt maturities , including the need to negotiate a covenant waiver under its $ 4 billion bank facility and repay $ 850 million of maturing long term debt in july . in addition , qwest ' s substantial investment over the past two years in its long haul and local businesses have left it with a substantial debt load , particularly at qci , while not yet generating free cash flow . the long haul business housed at qci subsidiary , qwest communications corporation , faces considerable pressure going forward due to excess capacity in the market . the previous two notch rating gap between corp . and qci was narrowed to one notch because corp . , which generates the majority of qwest ' s consolidated cash flow , may be used to raise more debt , which would weaken corp . ' s own credit measures .
in march 1990 , the largest merger in the history of the telecommunications industry united two former u . s . competitors , gte corporation and contel corporation , under the gte name . with a market value of $ 28 billion , the merged company became a telecommunications powerhouse . designed to take advantage of the two companies ' complementary businesses , the merger strengthened gte ' s assets in two of its three major areas of operations : telephone service and telecommunications products .
by 1996 gte corporation ranked as the world ' s third - largest publicly owned telecommunications company . with over 20 million telephone access lines in 40 states , the communications conglomerate was america ' s leading provider of local telephone services . the $ 6 . 6 billion acquisition of contel corporation in 1990 nearly doubled gte ' s mobilnet cellular operations , making it the second - largest provider of cellular telephone services in the united states , with over two million customers .
28 . pursuant to the interconnection provisions of the 1996 act , metronet signed an interconnection agreement with qwest in august 2000 . metronet , however , has not made use of that agreement . qwest argues on appeal that the interconnection agreement proves that qwest lacks control over an essential facility and that even if qwest does have such control , it has not denied access to metronet . metronet ' s ceo seeley stated in his declaration , however , that “the wholesale interconnection agreement option was not a realistic option at all . ” according to seeley , qwest refused to include long - distance and voice mail services in the agreement , which meant that end users would have to move to another service provider . as a result , according to seeley , metronet would lose 30 to 40 percent of its business . the mere fact that metronet signed an interconnection agreement does not negate metronet ' s evidence that qwest controls an essential facility and that it denied metronet reasonable access to that facility .
on wednesday , december 1 , 2010 , ruco filed testimony in support of the proposed settlement agreement that that seeks commission approval of the merger of qwest and centurylink .
feeling that it was about to lose the suit , at & t ; proposed an alternative - the breakup of the biggest corporation in history . it proposed that it retain control of western electric , yellow pages , the bell trademark ,
in this case , qwest ' s challenge to the cities ' ordinances is not nearly as narrow and defined . qwest ' s challenge to portland ' s ordinances is a prime example . portland ' s franchising process is not the result of a single , uniform ordinance regulating telecommunications providers . rather , the city ' s franchising process includes a number of provisions adopted over the course of many years and are applicable to utilities generally . qwest challenges portland ' s business license requirements ( city code chapters 7 . 12 and 7 . 14 ) , general franchise requirements that apply to all public utilities ( city charter sections 10 - 107 and 10 - 210 ( d ) ) , and the city ' s trp with qwest ( ordinance no . 175757 ) . qwest makes a similar challenge to several of eugene ' s ordinances . 5
id . qwest has not asserted any procompetitive justification for per location pricing . it is undisputed that per location pricing has no cost - based justification , compare oahu gas , 838 f . 2d at 368 ( economic necessity justified allegedly exclusionary conduct ) , and qwest has not suggested how per location pricing enhances efficiency or improves the products offered to consumers , see microsoft , 253 f . 3d at 59 . 24 therefore , metronet has proffered sufficient evidence to establish exclusionary conduct on the part of qwest .
working at qwest is enjoyable if you want to work and show up every day you are scheduled to work . i hardest part of the job was making customers happy .
in 2001 , qwest , which acquired u s west in 2000 , terminated the sale of rural telephone lines agreed upon in 1999 because citizens refused to complete the transaction .
in 1982 the company adopted the name gte corporation and formed gte mobilnet inc . to handle the company ' s entrance into the new cellular telephone business . in 1983 gte sold its electrical equipment , brokerage information services , and cable television equipment businesses .
qwest - which is still trying to buy mci - remains the weakest player , and an obvious takeover candidate . qwest came out of the southern pacific railway , which formed southern pacific telecommunications to lay fibre - optic cables along its tracks . it then got into the local phone business by buying an rboc , us west , for $ 43 . 5bn .
qwest estimated that it was losing more than $ 300 , 000 in revenues per month to metronet and other resellers , and that the revenue loss was having a “significantly negative” impact on profitability . in addition to these financial concerns , qwest was greatly troubled that the loss of its direct relationship with customers due to resale would deprive it of the opportunity to cross - sell additional products and services . qwest concluded that “no existing or forthcoming product ․ effectively addresses centrex resale competition , ” and set about developing strategies to win back market share .
correction to text : moody ' s rates qwest corp . $ 500 million sr . unsecured notes ba3 ( changes $ 700 billion to $ 700 million in 4th to last para )
qwest filed a timely appeal to the iowa state board of tax review . the parties stipulated , however , that the alj ' s decision would be treated as that of the board , subject to qwest ' s right to seek judicial review thereon . accordingly , the board issued a final order on october 12 , adopting the alj ' s decision in full .
7 . the pricing differential between centrex and 1fb lines had become so great that a significant number of small business customers were purchasing centrex from resellers rather than 1fb lines from qwest .
wheeler ' s bisbee customers aren ' t the only ones who feel victimized by what is perceived as us west ' s corporate quest to score big in a merger with qwest .
qwest closed trading thursday at $ 6 . 83 a share ; it closed at $ 5 . 24 on april 21 , 2010 , the day before the merger deal was announced .
1992 - 1994 - on 1 / 1 / 1992 , south central bell and southern bell were merged , forming bellsouth telecommunications , inc . , a corporation that is wholly - owned by bellsouth corporation . 1995 - bellsouth telecommunications , inc . had no changes during this period , except that on 1 / 1 / 1995 , the names south central bell and southern bell were dropped and only bellsouth telecommunications , inc . was used . 1996 - 2005 - bellsouth telecommunications , inc . had no changes during this period .
as a provider of telecommunications services in the state of washington , qwest is subject to regulation by the wutc . the wutc is authorized to regulate in the public interest the rates , services , facilities and practices of qwest and other telecommunications companies . wash . rev . code § 80 . 01 . 040 ( 3 ) . qwest ' s rates must be “fair , just , reasonable and sufficient , ” and its service must be “rendered and performed in a prompt , expeditious and efficient manner . ” id . § 80 . 36 . 080 .
qwest is the larger company , but its high debt load left it unable to play the consolidator in the industry . that role has instead been taken by centurylink , which started as a small rural phone company . for the past decade , it’s been buying mainly rural phone companies and lines , culminating in the acquisition of embarq in 2009 and now the acquisition of qwest .
qwest roots in colorado span more than a century , though it’s present - day operations stem from the antitrust breakup of at & t , or ma bell , in the early 1980s .
with the addition of qwest , centurylink ( nyse : ctl ) will have some 17 million phone lines , 5 million broadband customers and about 190 , 000 route miles of fiber network .
although the focus of the district court ' s inquiry was correct , the court nonetheless improperly weighed evidence and failed to view the facts in the light most favorable to metronet . the court should not have substituted its own speculations about present and future barriers to entry for the evidence in the record . metronet ' s expert cornell stated in her declaration that there are at least three structural barriers to entry that give qwest a high degree of market power : ( 1 ) each end user of telephone services must be physically connected to a local exchange switch , which makes it prohibitively expensive to build a telephone network from scratch ; ( 2 ) because qwest owns the only comprehensive local exchange network , both facilities - based providers and resellers need a high degree of cooperation from qwest in order to access that network ; and ( 3 ) qwest ' s historical monopoly has created enormous economies of scale that discourage competition and give qwest an incentive not to cooperate .
tom wheeler is very highly regarded . he ' s well - known and people stand behind him . if us west fires tom , you wouldn ' t believe what would happen . there would be a committee of citizens at the corporation commission in a heartbeat .
qwest and covad filed their arbitrated interconnection agreement implementing the terms of the arbitration decision with the acc , which was approved by operation of law under section 252 ( e ) ( 4 ) . one of the arbitrated interconnection agreement provisions stated “qwest will continue providing access to certain network elements as required by section 271 or state law , regardless of whether access to such unes is required by section 251 of the act . ” the acc deferred holding the section 271 rate proceeding at qwest ' s and covad ' s request after they reached an interim agreement regarding the pricing issue .
3 . bocs are a subset of ilecs . that is , all bocs are ilecs , but not all ilecs are bocs . thus , qwest - a boc - is also an ilec .
new york ( ap ) - centurylink inc . completed its purchase of qwest communications international inc . on friday , combining the country’s third - and fourth - largest traditional phone companies into one .
qwest ( nyse : q ) has some 28 , 000 employees across its 14 - state territory , including about 7 , 300 in colorado . centurylink has roughly 200 workers in the state .
on friday , november 19 , 2010 , the alj was informed that a settlement agreement (
proposed settlement agreement
) had been reached between acc staff , ruco , qwest and centurylink .
in order to prevail on its essential facilities claim , metronet must prove ( 1 ) that qwest is a monopolist in control of an essential facility , ( 2 ) that metronet , as qwest ' s competitor , is unable reasonably or practically to duplicate the facility , 25 ( 3 ) that qwest has refused to provide metronet access to the facility and ( 4 ) that it is feasible for qwest to provide such access . 26 see city of anaheim v . s . cal . edison co . , 955 f . 2d 1373 , 1380 ( 9th cir . 1992 ) ( citing mci communications corp . , 708 f . 2d at 1132 - 33 ) . the district court found that metronet could not prove any of the first three elements . 27 we disagree .
with respect to the second element , metronet must show its inability practically or reasonably to duplicate the facility . the district court concluded that metronet could not establish a lack of reasonable alternative means of access to qwest ' s essential facility . the court found that competitors could gain access to qwest ' s facility by purchasing 1fb lines and certain calling features from qwest at wholesale prices and reselling them for a profit . the court also found that metronet had failed to rebut evidence that features could be purchased on the open market at competitive prices . the record does not support either conclusion .
on september 26 and october 3 , 2000 , metronet and qwest met to attempt to settle the case . qwest withdrew from the proposed settlement agreement on october 10 , 2000 , and two days later metronet moved for an order enforcing the settlement agreement . the district court denied the motion on october 20 , 2000 , and denied metronet ' s motion to reconsider on november 13 , 2000 .
s international division thrived . in 1990 alone the corporation made several significant ventures , which included teaming up with the korean telecommunications authority in a variety of research , marketing , and information exchanges ; joining u . s . west to modernize czechoslovak telecommunications ; and partnering with ameritech and two