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A round up of the top countryside, conservation, wildlife and forestry stories as chosen by the CJS Team.
National Parks at a crossroads: Campaign for National Parks calls for a
moratorium on budget cuts and high-level roundtable this year to
consider how to secure long-term future for treasured landscapes Calls for a moratorium on future budget cuts to National Parks and
the establishment of a high-level round-table this year to consider how
to ensure the future of National Parks were made today by the Campaign
for National Parks. To see a list of ten areas of cutbacks go to our campaigns page - www.cnp.org.uk/news/ten-impacts-government-cuts-national-parks
Sale of National Park property - Lake District
National Park The Lake District National Park recently advertised a number of properties for sale, including Stickle Tarn, as part of our ongoing sales and acquisitions review to make sure our properties are managed effectively within the current financial climate. Reaction:
Chunks of the Lake District National Park to be sold
- Open Spaces Society We have condemned plans by the Lake District National Park Authority
to sell seven of its sites in the national park, including Stickle Tarn,
high up in Great Langdale, the lovely Yewbarrow Woods at Longsleddale
and part of the shore of Coniston Water. In common with other national park authorities the Lake District is
strapped for cash, although the environment minister, Lord de Mauley,
told the House of Lords on 5 March that the sales were not in connection
with government cuts. The park’s budget has been cut by £1.56 million, 23 per cent, in the
last five years and further cuts are threatened. The authority claims ‘We have safeguarded and strengthened public
access where it already exists and included other special conditions to
protect the special qualities.’ The properties are being sold through
agent Michael C L Hodgson of Kendal and bidding closes on 12 March. We deeply concerned about the sales. The land is all subject to
access under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act, some of it dedicated
under section 16 of that act, but that does not protect the land in
perpetuity. Commercial ‘We have great sympathy with the park authorities who are suffering
slashed budgets and we back the Campaign for National Parks’ battle
against the cuts. But it is no solution to flog off land which should be
held for the nation. We hope that the Lake District National Park
Authority will change its mind even at this late hour.’ Adds Ian Brodie, former director of the Friends of the Lake District
and the OSS representative in the Lake District: ‘I fear for the future
of much of this land. Unless it is purchased by a suitable charity, it
will potentially end up as someone’s private park, to the detriment of
public access and the landscape of the national park.’
Trust helps first East Ren forest school flourish
- National Trust for Scotland An agreement between conservation charity, the National Trust for
Scotland and an East Renfrewshire childcare provider has seen the
establishment of the area’s first ever ‘forest school’. Bringing
back the lynx to the British Isles
- Lynx
Trust Lynx Trust have just launched a national survey to gather the
opinions of people across the UK on lynx reintroduction. The initial stage of this process is focused on support or opposition
to a proposal that lynx should be reintroduced to the UK as part of a
controlled and monitored scientific trial. There is a legal framework that structures potential reintroductions
to ensure successful outcomes, this framework focuses not only on the
interests of target species but also takes into consideration concerns
of the general public; to address this second point we have begun the
process of collecting public opinion. A series of representative surveys
have been put together which will give voice to a wide range of target
audiences, this approach is designed to collect opinions from the
general public, interested individuals, organisations and stakeholder
groups. The European Union's Habitats and Species Directive 92/43 (the
'Habitats Directive') together with the 'Birds Directive' forms the
cornerstone of Europe's nature conservation policy. These directives are
built around two core pillars: a network of protected sites plus a
strict system of species protection. Under the Habitats Directive, the
UK Government is obliged to study the desirability of reintroducing
select species to their former range which are threatened in Europe but
have become extinct in the UK, if this is likely to contribute to their
conservation; the Eurasian Lynx (Lynx lynx) is one such species. The process of establishing a case for reintroduction needs to take
into account the experience of other EU Member States, ensure that any
reintroduction activity will effectively contribute to re-establishing
the species at a favourable conservation status and, importantly for
this element of the exercise, that any reintroduction should only take
place after proper consultation with the public concerned. Please, help us get a clear picture of public opinion of
reintroduction of these cats as part of a controlled and monitored
scientific trial
Pembrokeshire Coast celebration marks end of Mosaic Project -
Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority Mosaic Community Champions from across Wales came together recently
to celebrate the achievements of the project, which has seen over 2,000
people from black and minority ethnic (BME) communities introduced to
National Parks. With the Mosaic Project coming to an end in March 2015, seven
Community Champions visited the Pembrokeshire Coast to share their
experiences of involvement in the project and discuss how they can work
with the National Park and other agencies in the future.
Mosaic
Community Champions are pictured with Mosaic Project Officer Pat
Gregory, National Park Authority Chairman Cllr Mike James and Discovery
Team Leader Graham Peake. Image: Pembrokeshire Coast NPA The weekend also involved discussion and training sessions,
activities and coincided with the St David’s Day Celebrations, with the
Community Champions taking part in the annual Oriel y Parc Dragon
Parade. Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority Discovery Team Leader,
Graham Peake said: “The Community Champions should be proud of their
contribution to making Wales’ National Parks more accessible to BME
communities in Wales. Hopefully this event has helped the Champions
forge stronger links and create further opportunities so they can
continue to support the Mosaic approach in working with BME
communities.” The Champions, who are based in Newport, Cardiff and Swansea, have
organised a range of trips and events around the Pembrokeshire Coast
National Park over the life of the project, from bushcraft and arts
workshops to training sessions in walk leading, map reading and
fundraising. We included an article about CNP's Mosaic
Project in the most recent CJS Focus on Volunteering in February.
Read it
here
Red squirrel project calls on public to use new squirrel spotter –
Scottish Wildlife Trust A ground-breaking project aiming to safeguard the native red squirrel
from extinction in Scotland has launched a new website and is calling on
the public to try the updated squirrel reporting feature. Packed full of brand new content, such as blogs, video and updates,
scottishsquirrels.org.uk will help supporters keep up-to-date with all
the latest from the project. A key improvement is the update to the squirrel reporting feature to
make recording red and grey squirrels much easier. The new website works
with the GPS on mobile devices to pinpoint a user’s location. Hopefully,
this will mean more accurate data for the Saving Scotland's Red
Squirrels team. Since 1952, 95% of red squirrels in England and Wales have been wiped
out. Today, 75% of the UK’s remaining population is found in Scotland.
Public Inquiry needed to determine controversial North York Moors potash
mine plan - Campaign for
National Parks The Campaign for National Parks has called for a public inquiry to
examine plans to develop the world’s largest potash mine in the North
York Moors. The charity today (Tues) asked for the Communities Secretary
Eric Pickles to call in the planning application for the York Potash
mine head and tunnel, near Whitby, on the grounds that it is an
issue of national significance which conflicts with national policy on
the protection of National Parks.
Brownfield regeneration must be backed by better policy - CPRE CPRE paper illustrates we can do much more to ensure the highest
quality housing development on brownfield land A new research paper from the Campaign to Protect Rural England
(CPRE) today concludes that better data collection and community
engagement hold the key to advancing housing development on brownfield
land. The Better brownfield paper follows a recent pledge from David
Cameron to build 200,000 starter homes on brownfield land, as well as
Government policy changes aimed at increasing brownfield development.
The paper argues that political focus on brownfield has been welcome,
but that new homes on brownfield land have often failed to meet the
aspirations or needs of communities. To boost the provision and quality of homes on brownfield, the paper
suggests four specific initiatives. First, we should foster more cooperation between local and national
government on collecting information on brownfield sites, such as
through the use of a combined index that includes environmental and
social factors. Second, we should introduce a register of suitable
small-scale and publicly-owned brownfield sites, complemented by
stronger incentives for public-private partnership in their development. Third, we should implement measures to improve community engagement
in planning, such as citizen forums, and to increase custom- and
self-build housing on large-scale brownfield sites. Fourth, we should
consider full reform of housing density measurements to ensure that new
housing is designed for community need. Luke Burroughs, policy and research adviser at CPRE and report
author, says: “The recent focus on brownfield land from both Government
and the opposition is really welcome, but we must work harder to ensure
that we build homes communities really need.To guarantee that ambitious
initiatives don’t just improve the quantity of poor quality housing, we
have to empower local authorities to play a greater role in leading
brownfield development. A more positive approach to design and location
can spur the right kind of housing where people want and can afford to
live.” Download The Better brownfield paper here (7.4MB PDF)
Access to evidence about the natural environment – Natural England Natural England has published summaries of evidence. West Exmoor Coast And Woods Site of Special Scientific Interest. Copyright Natural England/Peter Wakely What do we know about the variety of life on earth, the effects of
climate change, land management, marine life, ecosystems, the geology of
England and the economic benefits of the natural environment? These are just some of the topics covered by Natural England’s
summaries of evidence, published for the first time to give instant
access to the wealth of knowledge we hold about the natural environment. Covering the full range of Natural England’s work, each document
provides a statement of the current evidence base, setting out what we
do know, what we don’t know and areas that are subject to active
research and debate. 9 summaries have been published today with more to follow. They
include:
You can download the summaries of evidence here
Devon's
wild beavers – Devon Wildlife Trust
****Update 10 March: beavers' health
screening****
The Defra Agency APHA have successfully trapped
and temporarily homed five beavers from the river Otter (two adult pairs
and one kit). The beavers are still in Devon, they are being housed in
family groups and being fed on a natural diet of willow supplemented
with fruit and vegetables. They are bedded on wood chip and have access
to water and artificial lodges and appear to be comfortable in their new
short-term housing and are feeding well. The responsibility for the beavers following their capture has now
passed from APHA to Devon Wildlife Trust. All beavers have been tested
to ensure they are healthy before they are returned to the river. DWT
has overseen the testing which has been carried out under the direction
of leading beaver vets, from the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland.
The health screening was also filmed by the BBC Springwatch team for
this year's programme - the activity of the film crew was supervised by
the vets. Visual observations show the beavers are healthy but we are
still awaiting the results for a range of diseases that DWT is required
to test for under the terms of our beaver release licence. We expect the
results from those tests to be returned very soon. We are
confident that we will be able to announce the beavers' return to the
Otter in the near future.
New Apps for places to go and stories to hear - Natural Resources
Wales Natural Resources Wales are releasing two new Smartphone Apps that
help people get out to explore the great outdoors in Wales. The free ‘Places to Go’ App shows you where you can go and what you
can do in Wales’s public forests and National Nature Reserves. Meanwhile the partner app ‘Place Tales’ explains the natural and
cultural heritage of these sites, including audio trails and folk tales,
bringing these mythical places to life. Steven Richards-Price, Visitor Experience Manager at Natural
Resources Wales said: “Getting outdoors is a fantastic way for people to
get active and lead a healthier lifestyle. Encouraging people to get out
and about is a valuable part of the work we do and these Apps make it
even easier for people to find and enjoy the sites we manage. The
storytelling App is a great way for families or those interested in
Welsh mythology and stories to make the most of being outdoors and also
enhance their experience.”
CAP rules jeopardise future of high nature value farming and crofting
- RSPB
Recent
Scottish Government decisions on Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) rules
and payments are likely to leave the fate of many farmers and crofters
across Scotland – and important species such as the corncrake - hanging
in the balance. RSPB Scotland and the Scottish Crofting Federation are urging the
Government for an immediate rethink before the deadline for applying for
payments in May.
Vicki Swales, Head of Land Use Policy for RSPB Scotland, said: “The
Scottish Government is trying to use new EU rules to ensure CAP funds
are targeted at active farmers. This is justified but in defining
‘minimum activity’ they have devised a set of nonsensical rules for
Scotland that will exclude many farmers and crofters from receiving
vital payments. Those who depend on these payments are often managing
land designated for its high environmental importance in places such as
the Western and Argyll Islands. The consequences for Scotland’s wildlife
as well as vulnerable rural communities look very serious indeed.” The Scottish Crofting Federation (SCF) has also raised concerns about
the payment rates for those who do meet the minimum activity
requirements and are eligible for support. Patrick Krause, Chief
Executive of SCF, said: “Crofters, and many farmers, with rough grazing
land will receive very low levels of payments under the new Basic
Payment Scheme compared to their counterparts who farm arable land and
permanent grassland. Upland farmers
in Wales mounted a successful legal challenge to the Government when
similar regions and rates were announced there. Many believe a similar
challenge is warranted here.” In future, in order to be eligible for support under the Basic
Payment Scheme and for many options in the new agri-environment-climate
scheme, farmers and crofters with land in Region 2 and 3 will need to
meet certain minimum activity requirements. These requirements mean
farmers will need to keep sufficient livestock to meet a minimum
stocking density of 0.05 livestock units per hectare of land or
demonstrate why they are stocking below this level. One option is to undertake an environmental assessment including
annual surveys of breeding birds, mammals, butterflies and plant health
and annual monitoring of habitats. An alternative is to have an
environmental agreement on the land with Scottish Natural Heritage or an
agri-environment agreement under the Scotland Rural Development
Programme.
Future funding announced for Scotland’s Environment Web Scotland’s first dedicated website for environmental data will
continue to be supported by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency
(SEPA) and partners, once the European LIFE+ funding contribution
concludes later this year. SEPA’s Chief Executive, James Curran, will
make the announcement of future funding for the website
(www.environment.scotland.gov.uk) at Understanding the state of the
environment – a conference being held by the agency in Edinburgh. The Scotland’s Environment Web LIFE+ project has been working closely
with partners over the last three and a half years to create a website
that provides access to data and information about Scotland’s
environment, in a format that is accessible to a wide range of
interests. Users of Scotland’s Environment website have access to:
In addition to these tools, Scotland’s Environment website provides
access to reports on the state and quality of the environment, whilst
aiming to improve our understanding of the challenges faced by public
agencies and the wide range of benefits the environment has to offer all
sectors of society.
Christiansen, F. & Lusseau, D. (2015)
Linking Behaviour to Vital Rates to Measure the Effects of Non-Lethal
Disturbance on Wildlife. Conservation Letters.
DOI: 10.1111/conl.12166
Pocock, Michael J.O. et al
Developing and enhancing biodiversity monitoring programmes: a
collaborative assessment of priorities. Journal of Applied Ecology
DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12423
Lundholm, Jeremy T. Green roof plant species diversity improves ecosystem multifunctionality. Journal of Applied Ecology DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12425 |
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