Conservation Laws and Current Designations

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Conservation Laws and Current Designations

• TLAs and FLAs

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Some TLAs and FLAs

• SAC
• SPA
• SSSI
• LNR
• NNR
• SINC
• LBAP
• SBS
• UKBAP
• NC(S)A
• WCA
• SNH, SEPA, SWT, RSPB, MCS, TFL, JMT, FCS, BCG

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The Laws

• National Parks and Access to the Countryside
  (1949) Act.
• Wildlife and Countryside (1981) Act.
• Nature Conservation Scotland (2004) Act.

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The Outcomes of these laws

• National Nature Reserves. 1949. Beinn Eighe was
  the first.
• Sites of Special Scientific Interest. 1949.
• National Parks. 1949 in England and Wales but
  2002 in Scotland.
• 1981. Strengthening of SSSI legislation. PDOs.
• List of European protected species and habitats.
• Scottish Biodiversity Strategy. 2004.
• Statutory duty to further the conservation of
  biodiversity by public bodies.

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International Legislation

• Ramsar sites. 1971. The convention on wetlands of
  international importance especially as waterfowl
  habitat.
• Bonn Convention. 1979.
• Special Protection Areas (SPAs) 1979. Birds.
• Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) 1992.
  Animals and Habitats.

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Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)

• These represent the best of Scotlands natural
  heritage. They are special for their plants,
  animals or habitats their rocks or landforms or
  a combination of such natural features.
• At 31 March 2006, there were 1,453 SSSIs,
  covering a total area of 1,015,000 hectares or
  12.6 of Scotland.

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National Nature Reserves (NNRs)

• They are areas of land, set aside for nature,
  where the main purpose of management is the
  conservation of habitats and species of national
  and international significance.
• At 31 March 2006 there were 65 NNRs in Scotland,
  covering approximately 114,000 hectares, ranging
  from wide expanses of mountain scenery to ancient
  woodlands and from remote islands to lowland
  lochs.

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Special Areas of Conservation (SACs)- for
habitats and non-bird species

• The Conservation (Natural Habitats c.)
  Regulations 1994 implement EC Directive
  92/43/EEC, known as The Habitats Directive.
• The Habitats Directive (as amended) includes
  lists of 189 habitat types and 788 species (not
  including birds) for which Member States must
  consider designation of Special Areas of
  Conservation (SACs).

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European Protected Species

• The habitats Directive has been law since 1994
  and makes it an offence deliberately to kill,
  capture, or disturb a European Protected Species,
  or to damage or destroy the breeding site or
  resting place of such an animal.
• Typical bats (all species)
• Wild cat (Felis silvestris)
• Dolphins, porpoises and whales (all species)
• Great Crested Newt (Triturus cristatus)
• Otter (Lutra lutra)
• Natterjack toad (Bufo calamita)
• Marine turtles (Caretta caretta, Chelonia mydas,
  Lepidochelys kempii, Eretmochelys imbricate,
  Dermochelys coriacea)
• Slender naiad (Najas flexilis)

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Special Protection Areas (SPAs) for breeding
and wintering birds

• These are strictly protected sites classified in
  accordance with Article 4 of the EC Directive on
  the conservation of wild birds (79/409/EEC) ,
  also known as the Birds Directive, which came
  into force in April 1979.
• They are classified for rare and vulnerable
  birds, listed in Annex I to the Birds Directive,
  and for regularly occurring migratory species.
• Together with Special Protection Areas, which are
  designated under the Wild Birds Directive for
  wild birds and their habitats, SACs form the
  Natura 2000 network of sites.

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Wetlands of International Importance RAMSAR
sites

• Ramsar sites are designated under the Convention
  of Wetlands of International Importance. The
  Convention was adopted in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971
  and ratified by the UK Government in 1976.
• There are currently 150 Contracting Parties to
  the Convention with 1556 wetland sites
  designated.
• 51 sites wholly or partly in Scotland have been
  designated as Ramsar sites, covering a total area
  of approximately 313,000 hectares.

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Country Parks

• Since 1969, 36 Country Parks, covering a total
  area of 6,481 ha, have been established by Local
  Authorities under Section 48 of the Countryside
  (Scotland) Act 1967.
• Most are owned and managed by Local Authorities,
  although some are in the care of the National
  Trust for Scotland.

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Regional Parks

• Regional Parks are designated and managed by
  local authorities, with support from SNH.
• The Parks have been created in order to provide
  co-ordinated management for recreation alongside
  other land uses such as farming and forestry.
• There are currently three Regional Parks in
  Scotland at Clyde Muirshiel, the Pentland Hills
  and in Fife (covering the Lomond Hills and
  Lochore).

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LNRs

• Local Authorities have exclusive statutory powers
  to set up and manage LNRs under Section 21 of the
  National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act
  1949.
• A Local Nature Reserve is a place with special
  local natural interest, set up to protect nature,
  and for people to enjoy and appreciate.
• There are just over 50 in Scotland.

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Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation

• These are voluntary nature conservation
  designations undertaken by local authorities.
• Effectively they are local SSSIs.

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Biodiversity

• The variety of all life on earth and where it is
  found.
• Convention on Biological Diversity.
• UK Biodiversity Action Plan.
• Scottish Biodiversity Strategy.
• Local Biodiversity Action Plans.

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Abbreviations explained

• SAC
• Special Area of Conservation
• SPA
• Special Protection Area
• SSSI
• Site of Special Scientific Interest
• LNR
• Local Nature Reserve
• NNR
• National Nature Reserve
• SINC
• Site of Importance for Nature Conservation
• LBAP
• Local Biodiversity Action Plan

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More abbreviations explained

• SBS
• Scottish Biodiversity Strategy
• UKBAP
• UK Biodiversity Action Plan
• NC(S)A
• Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act
• WCA
• Wildlife and Countryside Act

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Organisations

• SNH
• Scottish Natural Heritage
• SEPA
• Scottish Environment Protection Agency
• SWT
• Scottish Wildlife Trust
• RSPB
• Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
• MCS
• Marine Conservation Society
• TFL
• Trees for Life
• JMT
• John Muir Trust
• FCS
• Forestry Commission Scotland
• BCG
• Buchan Countryside Group