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Headlines from week beginning 21 November 2016 |
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A round up of the top countryside, conservation, wildlife and forestry stories as chosen by the CJS Team.
Landowners can help solve the rural housing crisis
- CPRE Report suggests ways to help landowners provide
affordable housing for local communities A new paper released today by the Campaign to
Protect Rural England (CPRE) argues that rural landowners can play a
crucial role in solving England’s rural housing crisis, and sets out
ways to better enable them to do so. Under current policy, rural landowners can provide
sites at below-market prices to build housing for local people in need -
but recent legal and financial changes have made this increasingly
difficult. On Solid Ground shows how we could make it easier for
landowners to offer their land for affordable housing, including through
changes to tax legislation and to councils’ waiting list systems for
social housing. Rural communities are particularly hard-hit by
dwindling affordable housing stock: 8% of rural housing is classed as
affordable compared to 20% in urban areas. This has seen the average age
in rural communities rise as young people are priced out, and services
like post offices, pubs and shops have closed as workers and potential
customers are forced to move elsewhere. Trinley Walker, policy and research adviser at the
Campaign to Protect Rural England, comments: “Landowners understand the
pressures facing rural communities, and they are uniquely placed to help
keep these towns and villages thriving. There is a clear appetite among
landowners to help create affordable housing for local people, but the
current system discourages them from doing so. Government must do more
to address the lack of affordable housing in rural areas. Removing some
of the obstacles preventing landowners from providing land is a
straightforward way to get more houses built for those who need them.” Members of the CLA provide nearly 40% of all
private rented housing in rural areas. CLA President Ross Murray says:
“Landowners have strong multi-generational ties to their communities and
are often local employers so are well-placed to help increase the supply
of affordable homes. We want life in our villages – to support young
families, local workers and those in the community who are ready to
downsize. At a time when housing costs are spiralling, providing more
affordable housing is an excellent way to sustain rural communities for
future generations and ensure people have the opportunity to live and
work in the countryside.” Access the On Solid Ground report.
Fox hunting laws:
Review of legislation complete. A report with recommendations to improve the
operation of the Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act 2002 had been
submitted to the Scottish Government by the Rt Hon Lord Bonomy. Lord Bonomy’s report contains a number of
recommendations, including:
Accepting the report, Environment Secretary
Roseanna Cunningham said: “I’d like to thank Lord Bonomy and his team
for examining this legislation. I’d also like to extend thanks to all of
those who participated in providing information to allow the report to
be put together for our consideration. The Scottish Government
recognised concerns about whether the legislation on fox-hunting is
working properly – that is why we asked Lord Bonomy to carry out this
detailed work. Back in 2002, Scotland led the way in addressing animal
welfare concerns and we remain committed to ensuring the highest levels
of welfare for our wild animals. We will now carefully consider the
findings, with a view to responding in 2017. Any ensuing proposals
for legislative change will be subject to the proper consultation
processes.” Reaction:
Response to Bonomy report into Protection of Wild Animals act
– Scottish Countryside Alliance The Countryside Alliance has welcomed the
publication of the Bonomy Review into the protection of wild mammals
Scotland Act 2002 which deals with hunting with dogs which has been
published today (21/11). Scottish Countryside Alliance director Jamie
Stewart, said: "We are pleased that the inquiry has recognised the
importance of gun packs for fox control and has rejected unjustified
calls for further restrictions. In particular, we are
pleased that Lord Bonomy, makes so clear the important role that gun
packs play in managing the fox population and that any restriction on
their activity could "seriously compromise effective pest control in the
country. Whilst we do not agree that there is a significant
problem with the enforcement of the current legislation, and note that
as recently as January 2016 Police Scotland confirmed to MSPs that there
'is no evidence to suggest that the mounted foxhound packs that exist
are acting outwith the legislation that is in place at the moment', gun
packs have always been very happy to work closely with the
authorities. We therefore look forward to working with statutory
bodies in the development of a separate code of practice for control
activities as recommend by the inquiry. " Reaction:
Lord Bonomy Report Into Fox Hunting: SGA Response
– Scottish Gamekeepers Association SGA Chairman Alex Hogg said: “Our members require
to be able to use foot packs in order to control foxes in areas of dense
and often impenetrable forestry. This helps to prevent predation of
ground-nesting species. We feel that Lord Bonomy’s report is a balanced
attempt to provide greater accountability and clarity around the law and
we have no problems with increasing transparency."
Shooting good for personal wellbeing, BASC report says
– British Association for Shooting and
Conservation Shooting makes an important contribution to
health and wellbeing among people of all ages, backgrounds and
abilities, according to a new report published by the UK’s largest
shooting organisation, the British Association for Shooting and
Conservation (BASC). The report, entitled the Personal Value of
Shooting, examines the social, physical and personal wellbeing
contribution of shooting to people in the UK and is based on a survey
conducted by BASC. The report’s other key findings were:
Kate Ives, BASC’s senior business intelligence
officer, said: “Shooting, and activities associated with shooting, are
clearly vastly important to people’s wellbeing. This is evident both in
the responses to the survey and the comments people made about what
shooting means to them. Wellbeing is used by policymakers and the
government as an indicator and measure of our quality of life.
Sports and outdoor activity are increasingly being recognised as
important for their contributions to our physical, personal and social
wellbeing. Shooting and its associated activities such as beating,
picking up or manual work, contribute to wellbeing. The results of this
survey suggest that shooting is actively contributing towards government
wellbeing targets by providing personal, social and physical benefits.” Access the report:
The
personal value of shooting: The social, physical and personal wellbeing
contribution of shooting in the UK
Number
Of Plastic Bags On UK Beaches Drops By Almost Half In Just One Year
– Marine Conservation Society Marine charity says 5p has been small price to pay for fewer carriers
at the coast The number of plastic carrier bags found on UK beaches in surveys
carried out by the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) has dropped by
almost half between 2015 and 2016. This is the lowest number reported in
over a decade, and fantastic news for marine wildlife.
Road salt can change sex ratios in frog populations, study says
– Yale University Naturally occurring chemicals found in road salts
commonly used to de-ice paved surfaces can alter the sex ratios in
nearby frog populations, a phenomenon that could reduce the size and
viability of species populations, according to a new study co-led by
scientists at Yale and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The researchers found that the proportion of
females within tadpole populations was reduced by 10% when exposed to
road salt, or sodium chloride, suggesting that the salt has a
masculinizing effect. They also found that exposure to fallen oak leaves
also significantly altered the sex ratios in the frog populations, as
well as the size of individual females in some cases. Maple leaf litter,
on the other hand, had no effect. More than 22 million metric tons of road salt is
applied to roads in the United States each year. Maple and oak trees are
dominant trees throughout temperate North America. “Many scientists have studied similar effects from
exposure to pharmaceuticals and pesticides, but now we’re seeing it from
chemicals found in common road salt and leaf litter,” said Max Lambert,
a doctoral student at the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental
Studies (F&ES) and lead author of the paper. “The health and
abundance of females is obviously critical for the sustainability of any
population because they’re the ones that make the babies,” Lambert said.
“So if you have a population that is becoming male-based, the population
might be at risk.” “The potential consequences to amphibian populations
are interesting, including the continual masculinization of frog
populations for many generations in habitats contaminated with high
concentrations of road salt, which could potentially affect the
abundances of frogs in these habitats,” said Rick Relyea, director of
the Darrin Fresh Water Institute at RPI and co-author of the study. “The
research raises the possibility that many other aquatic species could be
affected by road salts in sub-lethal ways, not only in terms of altered
sex ratios, but potentially in many other traits,” Relyea added.
Storm Angus: natural flood management at Holnicote stops Exmoor
villages flooding – National Trust Despite heavy rain at the start of the week the
Exmoor villages of Allerford and Bossington in Devon escaped flooding,
largely thanks to innovative work by the National Trust, project
partners and farmers to restore nature and reduce flood risk in the
National Park. Since 2009, the National Trust’s Holnicote Estate
has been the site of a government research project exploring how natural
flood management measures can reduce flooding on the rivers Aller and
Horner. The conservation charity looks after 90 per cent of the river
catchment within the 20 square mile estate.
Over the last seven years the National Trust and
its technical partners (JBA and Penny Anderson Associates) has worked
with tenant farmers to create floodwater storage areas and plant
woodland to reduce soil and water run-off from upland fields. These have
helped to slow the flow of water in the catchment, protecting the
villages of Bossington and Allerford from flooding. 90 homes in the
area, with an estimated insurance value of £30m, are deemed to be at
high risk from flooding. When Storm Angus swept over Exmoor National Park
on Monday the rivers upstream from Bossington swelled rapidly. Nigel
Hester, who has overseen the project for the National Trust, said: “We
had a huge amount of rainfall in a very short period of time on Monday.
It came as a surprise, with river levels rising by 50cm in just two
hours. Water that’s normally crystal clear became a sludgy brown with
soil washing off the fields But despite the rain, our natural flood
defences held – helping to protect the 90 houses at high risk of
flooding in villages downstream. Our flood storage areas held back
around 20,000 cubic metres of flood water.”
Celebrities back national campaign to support community farms and
gardens - Groundwork A campaign launches today (Wednesday 23 November)
inspiring people across the UK to become
‘Local Heroes’ by taking action to support community growing groups
in their neighbourhoods, many of which face a struggle to make ends
meet. Professional gardener and BBC broadcaster Christine Walkden is kicking off the campaign with a new video encouraging people to step up and become ‘Local Heroes’ by getting involved with their community farms and gardens as visitors, customers, volunteers or business partners. It is estimated there are more than 2,500
community growing groups in the UK helping to make their neighbourhood a
better, healthier, friendlier place. These include city farms, community
gardens, community orchards and therapeutic gardens together with many
other sites cultivated by local residents. Most rely on volunteers and
need more help to thrive, particularly as less local authority grant
funding is now available. According to a recent survey*, nearly half of
the community growing groups questioned regularly operated at a loss and
the majority felt the success of their project relied on grant funding. The campaign is part of Growing Together, a
partnership initiative between the Federation of City Farms and
Community Gardens, Groundwork UK, Incredible Edible Network,
Permaculture Association, Development Trusts Association (Scotland),
Wales Cooperative Centre and Cooperative Alternatives (Northern
Ireland). Charlie Powell, chair of the Growing Together
partnership, said: "Growing groups do fantastic work in helping to build
closer, healthier and more active communities, but many of them struggle
with a lack of money or skills, especially in today’s tough fund
grant-funding climate. Heroes are all about taking action and we want to
encourage people to become a Local Hero by taking one simple action that
will support their local community growing initiatives. Our aim is to
get 100,000 people more actively involved."
Our response to the Autumn Statement 2016
– Wildlife Trusts This year’s Autumn Statement – the first since the
EU referendum and the last of its kind – was heavy on measures for
economic infrastructure, but light on measures to support the kind of
infrastructure on which we all depend for our nation’s prosperity and
wellbeing: green infrastructure. To The Wildlife Trusts, this represents another
missed opportunity by the Government to show real environmental
leadership and to secure the recovery of our precious wildlife and wild
places. As The Wildlife Trusts’ England Director, Steve
Trotter, explained: “This year’s Autumn Statement demonstrates yet again
that Government is not recognising that our society – it’s health,
prosperity and happiness – is totally dependent on nature. An Autumn
Statement that puts nature at its heart would include a bold plan to
boost Government investment in green infrastructure: such as returning
our river catchments and peatlands to good health, or ensuing that new
housing projects incorporate large-scale habitat creation schemes. These
types of schemes were sadly missing from the Chancellor’s statement. I
hope that a big push to restore nature close to where people live and
work is built into the promised Housing White Paper. We can take some
small comfort that there are for now no further reductions to the
Landfill Communities Fund – one of the few remaining sources of funding
for nature’s recovery. We will continue to work hard to get back up to
full capacity this essential lifeline for many community and
environmental projects, which would otherwise not happen." SNH puts Scottish machair on the map – Scottish Natural Heritage One of Europe’s rarest habitats has been mapped
for the first time in Scotland by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH).
Scotland and Ireland are the only two countries in the world that have
the unique shell-rich dune grassland called machair, the majority being
in Scotland.
SNH is leading a multi-partner project to produce
a comprehensive Habitat Map of Scotland (HabMoS) by 2019 and machair is
one of 50 important habitats to receive attention. The project is a
major contribution to the Scottish Government’s 2020 Challenge for
Biodiversity and, together with the UK SeaMap, will in time provide a
complete picture of all of Scotland’s habitats. With the new
machair map we now know that there are more than 13,000 hectares of this
special habitat on our coasts, mainly in the Outer Hebrides, Tiree and
Coll, with smaller amounts in the Northern Isles and the west coast
mainland. Machair is a valuable part of our landscape in the
Highlands and Islands, both because of the nature it is home to and for
cultural reasons. Machair is known around the world and attracts
visitors from far and wide who come to see it in all its glory.
The habitat is so rare because it requires a specific combination of
features, including low-lying coastline, sand enriched with calcareous
shell fragments, strong winds to blow the sand inland and just the right
amount of rainfall. Professor Stewart Angus, SNH coastal ecologist,
said: “Machair can be so spectacular in summer, with swathes of coloured
wild flowers that change as the season progresses. On a warm summer day,
with a vivid blue sea and dazzling beach sand, some of us feel there are
few better places to be. “Machair is a constantly changing habitat, so the
map represents a ‘snapshot’ in time. Accepting such limitations, this
map is an invaluable aid to the assessment of change on our coasts, with
a time-stamped baseline of machair distribution we can use to inform the
impact of rising sea levels, as well as other impacts on a truly special
feature of Scotland’s coastal environment.” Machair is a very low-lying habitat, especially
vulnerable to the effects of climate change, and SNH is involved in a
number of machair studies investigating the impacts of sea level rise. The map is available via the
Habitat Map of Scotland web page.
Species set to receive protection, but will
require careful management. The Scottish Government is minded to allow beavers
to remain in Scotland, Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham has
announced. Ms Cunningham has said the species will have to be
actively managed, in line with practices in other European countries. Work has now begun to ensure beavers can be added
to Scotland’s list of protected species as soon as possible. It will be
the first time a mammal has been officially reintroduced to the UK. Scottish Ministers have agreed that:
The impacts of beavers in Scotland have been
closely monitored by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) at both the
official Scottish Beaver Trial site in Knapdale in Argyll and also on
Tayside, where the species has become established after being released
illegally. Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham said: “I have been determined to find a pragmatic approach, which balances the biodiversity benefits of reintroducing beavers with the obvious need to limit difficulties for our farmers. “I want to put on record my appreciation of the efforts of the Scottish Wildlife Trust, NFU Scotland, the Royal Scottish Zoological Society, and Scottish Land and Estates who have worked in partnership to set out a way forward."
Response:
Beavers back for good - partners welcome return of the Eurasian beaver
– Scottish Wildlife Trust The two lead partners in the Scottish Beaver Trial
– the Scottish Wildlife Trust and the Royal Zoological Society of
Scotland (RZSS) – have warmly welcomed today’s (21 November 2016)
announcement from the Scottish Government that the Eurasian beaver is to
be formally recognised as a native species, 400 years after being hunted
to extinction in the UK. Eurasian beavers have been recognised as a native
species (image: Scottish Wildlife Trust) Returning beavers to Scotland’s lochs and rivers
is the first formal mammal reintroduction in UK history. Today’s
announcement is a major success story for conservation, and the
culmination of nearly two decades’ work. The project partners are delighted to be given the
green light to reinforce the existing population in Knapdale, Argyll,
and welcome the news that the established population on the River Tay
will be allowed to remain in place. However, in order for the species to have a
long-term future in Scotland and recolonise across much of its former
range, further releases – following the Scottish Translocation Code and
with the full support of a range of stakeholders – will be necessary
over the next few years. The Scottish Beaver Trial has set the standard for
species reintroductions in the UK. Today’s announcement from the
Scottish Government underlines the widespread benefits both to habitats,
other species and the local economy beavers can bring. Response:
SNH welcomes Scottish Government decision on beaver reintroduction Natural Heritage (SNH) welcomes the announcement
today on the future of beavers in Scotland by the Cabinet Secretary for
Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform, Roseanna Cunningham. SNH chairman, Ian Ross, said: “The Scottish
Government’s decision will see the return of a species which was part of
our wildlife for thousands of years, before becoming extinct here around
the 16th century. Our report to the government, ‘Beavers in Scotland’,
shows that beavers can have a very positive impact on the environment,
wetland habitats and wildlife, as well as socio-economic benefits. We’re
now committed to working with land managers to minimise any potential
negative effects the beavers might have on land use locally.” Access a copy of the Beavers in Scotland report
South Downs study wins landscape award
–South Downs National Park How do you measure the value of a view? This was the challenge set for the South Downs
National Park Viewshed Study, completed by Landuse Consultants in
partnership with the National Park Authority in 2015. Their success in
tackling this task has now been recognised with a Landscape Institute
Award 2016.
The ‘diverse, inspirational landscapes and
breathtaking views’ of the South Downs are recognised as one of the
seven special qualities of the National Park – in effect the reasons why
the National Park exists today. From our high ground you can see for
20km or more and many of these views look beyond the National Park’s
boundaries, out into some of the most populous parts of the country with
high pressure for development. Landuse Consultants were commissioned to provide
evidence on the views from the National Park and what makes them special
so that they can be protected and improved for future generations. They
produced a series of simple interactive tools available to be used by
anyone – including the 176 Town and Parish Councils and 52 Neighbourhood
plan areas across the National Park. Among the innovative tools available is a Google
Earth virtual flight over the National Park with additional layers that
provide detailed research out our landscapes. It is also possible to
experience selected views as 360 degree panoramas. The Viewshed study will form part of the landscape
evidence base for the South Downs National Park Local Plan and we are
already using it to consider how proposed changes in land use might
impact our landscapes when deciding planning applications. See the
South Downs National Park Viewshed study
Annual wildlife crime report –
Scottish Government 5 year drop in wildlife crime. Recorded wildlife crimes dropped by 20% in the 5
year period to 2015, according to the annual wildlife crime report
published today. While the five year trend is positive, the latest
figures show a rise of 11 per cent in recorded wildlife crime between
2013-14 and 2014-15. There were 284 recorded wildlife crime offences in
Scotland in 2014-15, compared to 255 in 2013-14. The figures in the
report indicate that fish poaching remains the most commonly recorded
type of wildlife crime, and there has been a small increase in these
offences from 90 in 2013-14 to 101 in 2014-15 and a further increase in
the 5 year period of 19%. The report brings together data from the
Scottish Government, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service,
Police Scotland and other sources, all members of the Partnership for
Action Against Wildlife Crime Scotland (PAW Scotland). Commenting on
today’s publication, Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change
and Land Reform, Roseanna Cunningham said: “This fourth wildlife crime
annual report continues to shine a spotlight on the ongoing issues we
are facing to protect Scotland’s wildlife from illegal activity.
Responding to feedback, this report now contains even more detailed data
as we strive to improve the big picture view of the true extent of
wildlife crime in Scotland. We continue to respond to the challenges
that we face and that is why I recently instructed a review of satellite
tagging data to get to the bottom of why so many of our tagged birds of
prey are going missing. I remain determined to tackle outdated practices
and attitudes. Scotland’s wildlife is for everyone to enjoy; not for
criminals to destroy for their own ends. The Scottish Government will
use all of the tools available to enable our law enforcement colleagues
to bring those responsible to account.” Response:
RSPB Scotland welcomes publication of Scottish Government's Wildlife
Crime Report RSPB Scotland has responded to the publication of
the Scottish Government’s Wildlife Crime Report today, with the
conservation organisation’s Head of Investigations, Ian Thomson, saying:
“RSPB Scotland welcomes the publication of the Scottish Government’s
Wildlife Crime Report, and commends its ongoing commitment to tackle
crimes that continue to impact on the populations of some of our rarest
species, threatening both our natural heritage and our country’s
reputation. We also commend the strong comments made by the Cabinet
Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform in launching
this report, and agree with her sentiments that the results of the
review of the disappearance of satellite-tagged birds of prey, to be
published next year, will be of significant interest. Response:
Scottish Land & Estates’ comment on annual
wildlife crime report Scottish Land & Estates has issued the following
statement on the annual wildlife crime report published today by the
Scottish Government. Douglas McAdam, chief executive of Scottish Land & Estates said: “We welcome the publication of the fourth official wildlife crime report covering the year 2014/15, and we are pleased that over a five year period wildlife crimes generally have dropped by 20%. We note that fish poaching, deer and hare coursing is still by far the largest wildlife crime category being tackled by Police Scotland and this type of crime remains an ongoing problem for our members.
Scientific publications Sunday, J. M. et al (2016)
Ocean acidification can mediate biodiversity shifts by changing biogenic
habitat. Nature Climate Change. doi:10.1038/nclimate3161 Chollett, I. et al (2016)
A
Genuine Win-Win: Resolving the “Conserve or Catch” Conflict in Marine
Reserve Network Design. Conservation Letters.
DOI: 10.1111/conl.12318
Smith, S. H., Steenhof, K., McClure, C. J. W. & Heath, J. A. (2016)
Earlier nesting by generalist predatory bird is associated with human
responses to climate change. Journal of Animal Ecology.
DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12604
Adam Berland, Daniel A. Lange,
Google Street View shows promise for virtual street tree surveys,
Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, Volume 21, January 2017, Pages 11-15,
ISSN 1618-8667, DOI: 10.1016/j.ufug.2016.11.006.
Dalton, A. M., Jones, A. P., Sharp. S. J., Cooper, A. J. M., Griffin,
S. & Wareham. N. J. (2016)
Residential neighbourhood greenspace is associated with reduced risk of
incident diabetes in older people: a prospective cohort study. BMC
Public Health. DOI: 10.1186/s12889-016-3833-z
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CJS is not responsible for content of external sites. Details believed correct but given without prejudice. Disclaimer: the views expressed in these news pages do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of CJS. |
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Floodwater
being stored on fields on the Holnicote Estate, Exmoor. (c) Nigel
Hester/National Trust
Machair
- copyright SNH-Lorne Gill
image:
South Downs National Park
