Lichen Conservation

I saw this story in the news and thought that it was interesting:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-15180179
It talks about cutting down trees at a location in Wales in order to engineer a park so that it will remain an optimal location for lichen growth. I am very interested in lichen conservation, but I typically take the stance that we should just "leave it alone" (i.e., let the preserved places evolve naturally) rather than actively attempting to create, maintain, or otherwise engineer a suitable habitat for lichens. But perhaps in parts of the world where there are only a few small, fragmented pieces of land on which lichens can thrive, a different approach must be taken (so that the preserved places remain more or less static instead of evolving naturally into old-growth habitats).  It's not something that I would jump into without reservations, but perhaps this instance will be a good test case.  I still instinctively remain wary of anything that could set off a chain of interventions that may lead us where we never intended to go!  What are your thoughts?

- Brendan