Following on from my previous freedom of information request about the North Devon Biosphere please can you share the following information.
1) Please share
a) the survey report for the American Mink trapping surveys covering the project, from its inception to its closure in 2024, and
b) the habitat survey report from the same period accessing suitability for Water Vole Reintroduction.
No reports were produced as there was no mink caught.
2) Were any American Mink trapped during the survey period June 2022 – Summer 2024?
No
If yes, a) were the mink re-released, or
N/A
b) dispatched, or
N/A
c) other, and if “other” what happened to them?
N/A
3) Did the traps cause accidental by-catch or fatalities of non-target species during the survey period? This would be in the survey report as requested in question 1.
No by catch. The traps are non-lethal and are radio linked.
4) How often were these traps set, and how often were they checked?
Permanently set and monitored electronically.
5) Was permission and guidance sought from Natural England for the American Mink trapping surveys? If so, can this be provided?
Funding and consent was proved by Natural England to the Charity.
6) Did anyone at North Devon Biosphere foundation team who worked on this project a) have any species licenses, b) have CIEEM registration?
None are required for mink.
7) What does “hosted” mean? Is there information held by DCC which outlines the terms of this relationship between NDB Foundation and DCC?
Yes, the Partnership Agreement documenting the governance is available publicly online. The Agreement is currently being refreshed as part of the ten year periodic review of the Biosphere Strategy.
‘Hosting’ means that the local authority is responsible for the financial management and employment of staff of the organisation being hosted. In the case of the biosphere partnership this applies to the North Devon UNESCO Biosphere Co-ordinator and an administrator role. All other staff are employed by the North Devon Biosphere Foundation or North Devon Biosphere Enterprises Ltd.
8) If the North Devon Biosphere Foundation Co-ordinator is not an employee of Devon County Council, and the foundation is hosted by DCC, and the role was originally advertised in 2003, (assumingly under DCC), when did the NDBF branch off to become a group separate from DCC, and become a “hosted” entity of DCC?
As per our response to a previous Freedom of Information Request about the North Devon Biosphere, the North Devon UNESCO Biosphere Co-ordinator is employed by Devon County Council; please see questions 4,5, and 6.
The North Devon Biosphere Foundation was established in 2002. Information about it is publicly available on Companies House.
The person referred to in question 17 of the previous request is not an employee of Devon County Council and therefore there is no information held by Devon County Council about that person or job role.