|
New guidance to help
plant native trees
FC Scotland News Release
No 8623, 26 October 2006
Native woodlands received
a boost when Scottish Forestry Minister, Rhona Brankin, announced new
advice for woodland owners and foresters which will help choose the
right species and seed sources for planting.
The new Forestry
Commission Scotland Guidance, Seed Sources for Planting Native Trees and
Shrubs, advises planters in any part of Scotland what species are native
to the locality and helps them to identify suitable seed sources for
planting, where possible from the same region and similar elevation.
The guidance also
considers how to help native trees and woodlands to adapt to climate
change. Expanding native woods using well-adapted trees from seeds
collected from a range of parent trees should strengthen the capacity of
tree populations to adapt to future environmental change and sustain
various uses.
For more information on
the guidance, or to obtain a copy, please go to
www.forestry.gov.uk/seedsourcesscotland or call 0131 3146156.
CPRE publish
tranquillity map for England
CPRE Press release, 23
October 2006
Where exactly is the most
tranquil place in England? A new map from the CPRE shows how likely the
local surroundings are to make a visitor feel tranquil. The spectrum of
colours ranges from deep red – within towns and cities and along major
roads – shading through orange and yellow to a rich green in the most
unspoilt areas of deep countryside with big views and little man-made
noise.
The map reveals that
England’s most tranquil region is the North East, and the most tranquil
county is Northumberland followed by Cumbria and North Yorkshire. The
least tranquil region is London and the South East and the least
tranquil county is Surrey, followed by Cheshire and Hertfordshire.
To make the map,
researchers from Northumbria and Newcastle Universities consulted more
than 1,300 countryside users and visitors across England on their
perceptions – what it was in their surroundings that did, and didn’t,
make them feel tranquil.
There was a wide
diversity of views but most revolved around three themes – landscape
qualities, the impact of man-made noises and the presence or absence of
lots of people. The top five components of ‘what tranquillity is’,
according to countryside visitors and users, are: seeing a natural
landscape, hearing birdsong, hearing peace and quiet, seeing natural
looking woodland and seeing the stars at night. The top five components
of ‘what tranquillity is not’ are hearing constant noise from traffic,
seeing lots of people, seeing urban development, seeing light pollution
overhead and hearing lots of people.
CPRE Chief Executive
Shaun Spiers says: ‘Tranquillity is one of the greatest benefits we get
from the countryside. But we know that tranquil areas are shrinking and
fragmenting because of the remorseless growth in road traffic and flying
and the gradual spread of towns, cities and infrastructure into the
countryside.'
‘Our new mapping method
gives us a practical, reliable method of showing where tranquil places
can still be found. This is the start of our campaign to persuade
national and local government, planners, developers, business, and
public bodies to start using it, in order to safeguard tranquil areas
for the future and even enhance them.’
‘And we want people to
use our new maps to campaign for tranquillity in their local
countryside. This isn’t just about protecting England’s few big
remaining areas of deep tranquillity in the most remote areas, like
Dartmoor, Northumbria and the North Pennines. There are often important
relatively tranquil places on our doorstep, such as in the Green Belts
surrounding our big towns and cities.’
www.cpre.org.uk/news-releases/news-rel-2006/55-06.htm
Breeding area for rare dolphins found off Llyn Peninsula
CCW Press release 18
October 2006
A rare sighting of a
group of Risso’s dolphins, including calves, has been made off Bardsey
Island, at the tip of the Llyn Peninsula.
Field workers from the
Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS) saw the group of five
mothers and five young calves, during their annual research on the
island. This very unusual sighting illustrates the potential importance
of the area to Risso’s dolphins for breeding and as a place for rearing
their young.
Simon Keith, lead WDCS
field worker on the Bardsey research project said: ‘The work we do on
Bardsey is providing a better understanding of the distribution, numbers
and behaviour of Risso’s dolphins and harbour porpoises around the
Island, information that can be used to inform conservation plans. This
is the first time we have seen so many young calves in the same pod,
which is incredibly exciting and emphasises the need for ongoing
research.’
Dr Mandy McMath, CCW
Marine Mammals Ecologist said: ‘Risso’s dolphins are a species about
which little is known. The waters around Bardsey Island are one of few
places along the UK where Risso’s can be seen from land. I am delighted
that this project is bearing fruit, and gathering much needed
information so that the marine environment is managed in a way that
ensures Risso's dolphins' long-term conservation.’
www.ccw.gov.uk/news/index.cfm?action=Press&ID=879&lang=en
Deer catered for on New
Forest lawns
Forestry Commission News
Release No: 8831,13 October 2006
The Forestry Commission
and New Forest Show Society have put in place the last piece of a
strategy aimed at reducing the conflict between deer and the farmers
whose crops they love to eat.
Keeper Ian Young said:
“Farmers are concerned when the deer bed with us, and breakfast with
them. The show society has made a key contribution by opening up their
land at New Park as a ‘deer lawn’ on which the animals can eat their
fill."
“We have also created
another four open grazing sites totalling ten hectares in the woodlands
around Brockenhurst. Together, these areas are now encouraging the deer
to sleep and eat within the forest boundaries and not to go foraging
among our neighbours’ crops.”
Mr. Young said the new
‘lawns’ were a vital part of the Commission’s new, ‘Deer Management
Plan’, which was due to be published this month. The document set out a
wide range of ideas aimed at creating a balance between the forest,
farming and wildlife conservation.
Information about the New
Forest’s herds can be found at
www.forestry.gov.uk/newforest
Natural England declares Dovedale a new National Nature Reserve
Natural England press
release & BBC Online News, 13 October 2006
Dovedale in the Peak
District has been declared a National Nature Reserve. The declaration,
which is the first to be launched by Natural England, was made in
recognition of Dovedale's diverse flower-rich grassland, ash woodlands
and distinctive rock formations.
Dovedale on the
Derbyshire and Staffordshire border is visited by over a million people
each year. It has been cared for by the National Trust since 1937, and
it supports a wide range of habitats typically found within the
limestone dales of the Peak District. Many of these are of national and
European importance.
National Nature reserves
(NNRs) are established to protect the most important areas of wildlife
habitat and geological formations in Britain and are carefully managed
on behalf of the nation. There are 217 NNRs in England, but currently
only 3 in Derbyshire.
www.naturalengland.org.uk/press/news/131006.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/derbyshire/6046120.stm
Perthshire farmer
admits polluting local river
Scottish Environment
Protection Agency press release & The Scotsman - 13 October 2006
Mr Timothy Bruges, an
organic farmer, was fined £600 for polluting Buckny Burn near Dunkeld
with sheep dip between 21-28 September last year when he appeared at
Perth Sheriff Court yesterday (Thursday 12 October).
The watercourse into
which the sheep dip was discharged to flows into the Lunan Lochs. These
Lochs are Sites of Special Scientific Interest and a Special Area of
Conservation
The incident came to
light after routine repeat samples of the area near Dunkeld by an
ecologist from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA)
revealed that the aquatic life in one of the watercourses had been
virtually wiped out. On further investigation, Synthetic Pyrethroid
Sheep Dip was found to have been discharged from a pipe on Laighwood
Farm into the burn.
Investigating officer
Calum McGregor said: “Sheep dip is highly toxic to aquatic life and as
this unfortunate case shows, it can have a devastating impact on aquatic
life if it enters watercourses.
www.sepa.org.uk/news/releases/view.asp?id=453&y=2006
http://news.scotsman.com/scitech.cfm?id=1515952006
Coastal and Marine National
Park
Scottish Executive News
11 October 2006
A special roadshow gets
underway today to mark the start of a consultation into proposals for
Scotland's first Coastal and Marine National Park.
The candidate areas for
the park are, Solway, Argyll Islands and Coast, Ardnamurchan, Small
Isles and the South Skye Coast, North Skye Coast and Wester Ross, North
Uist, Sound of Harris, Harris and South Lewis
A coastal and marine park
would have the same broad purpose as terrestrial national parks.
-
conserve and enhance
the natural and cultural heritage of the area
-
promote the sustainable
use of natural resources
-
promote access,
enjoyment and understand
-
promote the sustainable
economic and social development of local communities
At Troon today,
Environment and Rural Development Minister Ross Finnie said:
"There is a huge amount
of interest, activity and diversity on our coasts and sea. It is crucial
that coastal and marine-based activity is managed in a sustainable
manner which integrates socio-economic and environmental factors for the
long-term benefit of our people and natural heritage.
"I can give an assurance
that we will be listening to all views and will take all of them into
account before any decision about the designation of a park is made."
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2006/10/10135242
New champion for the
environment launches
Natural England press
release 11 October 2006
The official launch of
Natural England took place today. The centrepiece of the launch was the
announcement of four major campaigns, starting over the next two months,
and which will focus on protecting the marine environment, preventative
health solutions, farmers’ stewardship of biodiversity and climate
change. Targets will include establishing a network of marine protected
areas by 2012 and championing the provision of accessible green space
within five minutes walk of every home.
Natural England was
established by the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006.
It has been formed by bringing together English Nature, the landscape,
access and recreation elements of the Countryside Agency and the
environmental land management functions of the Rural Development
Services. Natural England will, for the first time, unite in a single
organisation responsibility for protecting and enhancing biodiversity
and landscapes, as well as promoting greater access and recreation –
helping people to enjoy more green spaces both in the countryside and
urban environments.
It will have wide-ranging
responsibilities. As a delivery organisation, it will provide incentives
to farmers and land managers to manage their land in a more
environmentally friendly way. Natural England will also be a key
regulator and the government’s independent watchdog to advise on how
policies affect the natural environment.
Natural England has a
budget of £500 million and employs 2500 people. Its headquarters are
based in Sheffield. The Strategic Direction 2006-09 identifies four
strategic outcomes that it will seek to deliver: a healthy natural
environment, enjoyment of the natural environment, sustainable use of
the natural environment and a secure environmental future.
www.naturalengland.org.uk/press/releases/111006.htm
Quiet
green revolution in Scotland's new forestry strategy
Forestry Commission
Scotland news release No: 8759, 9 October 2006
Forestry has "the power
to transform our environment," said Scottish Forestry Minister Rhona
Brankin as she launched the Scottish Forestry Strategy.
The new strategy is the
blueprint of how forestry will be developed in the future. It aims to
ensure that Scotland's forests, woods and trees are working hard in the
battle to fight climate change, as well as improving people's health,
supporting the economy and enhancing Scotland’s environmental quality.
The strategy has been in preparation for more than a year and included
two public consultations, which drew responses from dozens of
organisations and people from all over Scotland.
Launching the strategy,
Ms Brankin said:
"A key message is that
well managed forests – from conifers to our rarest native woodlands -
are one of the best insurance policies we have for coping with and
adapting to future uncertainties. They can also play a part in helping
to reduce the severity of the potential climatic changes by increasing
the use of wood fuel for heating, promoting timber as the ultimate
sustainable building material, and by locking-up carbon from the
atmosphere."
The strategy aims to
increase the recreational opportunities in forests by supporting
projects such as the development of mountain bike trails. The document
also highlights the benefits of taking advantage of woods around
communities to regenerate urban and rural areas and attract inward
investment.
The strategy aims to
develop a stable and growing supply of quality timber and to increase
the market share of home-grown Scottish wood, particularly in
sustainable construction and the developing wood fuel industry. It also
seeks to develop other sources of forestry-related income, including its
key role in supporting Scotland’s tourism industry.
A continuing priority is
to protect, enhance and expand ancient semi-natural woodland. Forestry
has a key role in helping to reverse the historic decline in
biodiversity, including some of the popular species such as red
squirrels and capercaillie and 'forgotten' nature such as insects,
liverworts, mosses and fungi.
Forestry Commission
Scotland serves as the Scottish Executive's forestry department. It
manages 668,000 hectares of national forest land for multiple benefits,
including nature conservation, public recreation, timber production, and
rural and community development; supports other woodland owners with
grants, felling licences, advice and regulation; promotes the benefits
of forests and forestry; and advises Ministers on forestry policy.
The new strategy can be
downloaded from here:
www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/infd-6aggzw
New
reserve for SWT
Scottish Wildlife Trust Press Release, 2
October 2006
The
Scottish Wildlife Trust (SWT) added a new site to its portfolio of over
120 reserves in Scotland today when Brock Wood, a 17-hectare woodland near
Dunbar in East Lothian was presented to the Trust by David Jamieson.
Located five kilometres south of Dunbar, the woodland includes upland oak
and alder, a rare component in the east of Scotland and a priority habitat
for protection. This woodland is home to numerous plant species including
the rare hoary plantain (Plantago media) and early dog violet (Viola
reichenbachiana), mammals such as badger and brown hare, more than 20
species of bird and home to the rare hoverfly Platycheirus strictus.
Over
the coming years, SWT staff and members of SWT’s Lothians Members Centre
will manage the reserve to encourage the regeneration of native woodland
species while controlling invasive species and bringing the wet grassland
under a conservation grazing regime.
www.swt.org.uk/Downloads/02_d_PR_BrockWood_Oct06.pdf
New biodiversity duty
on all public bodies
Defra 1 October 2006
From 1st October 2006, all
public sector bodies, from the police to the BBC, will have to consider
biodiversity in the work they do. The new duty comes under Section 40 of
the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act.
The aim is to raise the
profile of biodiversity in England and Wales, eventually to a point where
biodiversity issues become second nature to everyone making decisions in
the public sector.
Over 900 public bodies will
be affected, ranging from local authorities, fire, police and health
bodies, to museums and transport authorities Defra, in partnership with
the Local Government Association, the Association of Local Government
Ecologists, English Nature, the Countryside Council for Wales, Welsh
Assembly and Wildlife and Countryside Link are working on developing
guidance to assist those affected in fulfilling their responsibilities.
In recognition of the key
role local authorities play with regard to conserving and enhancing
biodiversity, there will be two sets of guidance:
The guidance will be
produced in paper and electronic versions and is expected to be published
in early 2007.
| 