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The Nature of Devon - A Biodiversity and Geodiversity Action Plan
Meeting of the Devon Biodiversity Partnership - 29 October 2008
Delivering nature conservation in Devon
About 60 delegates representing a wide range of organisations attended a meeting of the Devon Biodiversity Partnership held at County Hall on the morning of 29th October 2008.
Craig Dixon, Devon County Council’s Biodiversity Officer and co-ordinator of the Devon BAP, gave an initial overview on the Devon BAP and set out some of the context for nature conservation delivery. This included an update on the integration of geological conservation within the Devon BAP, an overview of the new national framework for the delivery of the England Biodiversity Strategy, and an introduction to the role of the Local Area Agreement.
Indeed, the focus of the meeting was the new Local Area Agreement (LAA) for Devon. This contains the following biodiversity outcome:
‘Targeted conservation and enhancement of Devon’s biodiversity and geology in line with UK and local Biodiversity Action Plans and the South West Nature Map.’
Such an objective can only be achieved through co-ordinated efforts, making the Devon Biodiversity Partnership the ideal umbrella body to take forward its delivery.
- Please see the end of this report for some background information on the Local Area Agreement.
Four delivery mechanisms are in place to deliver this biodiversity objective. The meeting addressed each of these in turn, before a presentation on a landscape-scale project underway in northern Devon.
- LAA - Refinement of the South West Nature Map
- LAA - Securing the positive management of local Sites
- LAA - Working with local communities
- LAA - Developing and implementing a Biodiversity Monitoring Framework for Devon
- Devon Wildlife Trust’s Working Wetlands Project
1. Refinement of the South West Nature Map.
Naomi Brookes, SW Regional Biodiversity Co-ordinator, gave an overview of the South West Nature Map.
The Nature Map has been developed to help with the targeting of landscape-scale conservation in the Region. It was produced by Biodiversity South West in liaison with many regional and local experts, and with considerable input from Local Record Centres. It highlights blocks of land, known as Strategic Nature Areas (SNAs), which are important for both the conservation and expansion of important habitat types and which can be used to target large-scale projects within the wider countryside.
- The South West Nature map presentation
(2.10MB - pdf help)
Information about the South West Nature Map can be downloaded from the web site of the South West Observatory, including the methodology that was used in its production, a map of what it looks like in Devon and detailed GIS layers: www.swenvo.org.uk/nature_map
Alternatively, simple maps showing SNAs for Devon BAP habitats have been produced for all of Devon’s district, borough and unitary authorities, along with the County’s Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. These can be viewed on Devon County Council’s web site:
Craig Dixon, DCC’s Biodiversity Officer, then outlined work being undertaken in Devon to build on the Nature Map and improve nature conservation targeting within the County. There are two elements to this work:
(a) a Devon Biodiversity Network Map - building on the South West Nature Map (SWNM), this will aid the targeting of nature conservation action by identifying further areas of importance not picked up by the regional methodology that produced the SWNM and highlighting links and corridors throughout the County that may facilitate the movement of plants and animals.
(b) SNA profiles – SNAs are currently just boundaries on a map. Brief, simple profiles are being produced to add value to these by providing some key information on what their nature conservation interest is, what the targets for habitat maintenance and expansion might be, and what the opportunities and constraints to habitat restoration and creation are.
2. Securing the positive management of local Sites.
Presented by Lynne Kenderdine, Devon Wildlife Trust, and Sarah Jennings, DCC’s County Ecologist.
Individually and collectively, County Wildlife Sites and County Geological Sites, are a very important resource. For example, there are about 2000 County Wildlife Sites (CWS) in Devon, covering a broad range of priority habitats.
Identifying such sites as important is one thing but the key to their future is to raise their profile in the minds of those who own and manage them and to encourage their positive management. In fact, securing the positive management of local sites is one of the 199 National Indicators for Local Authorities and Local Authority Partnerships.
The biodiversity indicator (NI 197) is ‘Improved Local Biodiversity – proportion of Local Sites where positive management has been or is being implemented’. Further details of all of these indicators can be found at: http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/localgovernment/nationalindicator
Much work is now underway to both implement and report on this indicator, which is the main target against which the success of the LAA’s biodiversity outcome will be assessed.
3. Working with local communities.
Tom Hynes, Northern Devon Coast and Countryside Service, gave a presentation on this important work area.
Community involvement is fundamental to a secure environment. Not only does it increase understanding of and engagement in wider nature conservation issues, it also increases a sense of ownership of the local environment. Above all, it can actually deliver practical nature conservation action.
Importantly, local engagement with nature conservation also has direct befits for a wide range of other public initiatives, such as health and exercise, developing a sense of community and reducing some elements of anti-social behaviour (for example, vandalism of locally owned projects is of rare).
Within the LAA there is a focus on the production of Parish Biodiversity Audits, which aim to stimulate community action for wildlife by providing a description of the wildlife resource of the Parish, making links between this and the Devon Biodiversity Action Plan and providing some initial ideas for local action.
4. Developing and implementing a Biodiversity Monitoring Framework for Devon.
Presented by Sarah Jennings, County Ecologist.
Is Devon’s wildlife getting better or worse? For some well studied habitats and species we know the answer. Generally, though, trends in Devon’s wildlife remain a mystery at which we can only guess. Usually, therefore, proxy indicators are used, such as the percentage of Sites of Special Scientific Interest that are in favourable condition. This is a valid indicator but it just tells you about sites to which a great deal of attention and money are applied and little or nothing about the wider countryside where so much of our wildlife is to be found.
In order to address this gap in knowledge a report has been commissioned to identify suitable monitoring indicators and methodologies. The proposed indicators include loss and gain of BAP habitat and the condition of County Wildlife Sites.
The methodology is currently being refined to ensure the establishment of a practical, informative and cost-effective monitoring programme.
In addition to the LAA, the meeting also profiled an ambitious five year project to delver practical nature conservation at a landscape-scale:
Devon Wildlife Trust’s Working Wetlands Project
Peter Burgess, Working Wetlands Project Manager, gave an interesting presentation on this exciting project being taken forward in northern Devon.
Based around the headwaters of the Torridge, Tamar and Taw, the project aims to rebuild biodiversity throughout these areas, restoring and creating habitats and the connectivity between them.
The main focus of the work is the conservation, restoration and re-creation of Culm grassland, one of Devon’s key habitats. This wet, rough mixture of heath, mire and grassland is of considerable wildlife and landscape importance but has declined markedly in extent in recent decades. The project will also conserve and enhance other important habitats, such as woodland, hedgerows and water courses.
As well as benefiting specific habitats and species, the project will help to restore a functioning natural environment. For example, wet grassland and mire help to store water in times of heavy rainfall, releasing it slowly and thereby reducing peaks and troughs of river levels.
Some further information on the Working Wetlands project can be found on DWT’s website (look under ‘projects’): www.devonwildlifetrust.org
The meeting was chaired by Matthew Carter, Natural England’s Area Manager for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. We were fortunate to have this high-level representation from Natural England, emphasising that organisation’s ongoing commitment to the delivery of biodiversity gain.
We were also fortunate to have present Sally Foxhall, Chair of the Devon Strategic Partnership, who said a few well chosen words about the Sustainable Community Strategy and the LAA and provided a most useful context for the day.
What is the Local Area Agreement?
For those unfamiliar with the LAA, here is some brief context. All Local Authorities are required to produce Sustainable Community Strategies, and this is generally done through the Local Strategic Partnership (LSP). ‘Strategic’ is the key word here. The LSPs consist of a broad range of organisations such as local authorities, health trusts, and the police, along with non-governmental organisations and business and community representatives.
LSPs are, therefore, ideally placed to have the strategic overview necessary to develop a vision for an area and to identify the priority issues that are relevant to achieving that vision - this, in essence, is a Sustainable Community Strategy.
Local Area Agreements aim to identify and deliver the action necessary to help realise the vision of the Sustainable Community Strategy. In effect, LAAs are a three year contract between central government and a local area represented by the relevant local authority and other partners through the LSP.
Sustainable Community Strategies and LAAs are important, high-level documents. Having the biodiversity outcome within the LAA considerably raises the profile of nature conservation across a broad and influential sector. It also reinforces the concept of co-ordinated delivery.
Website of the Devon Strategic Partnership, including details on the new LAA: www.devonsp.org.uk