site conservation objectives –a new approach? · conservation objectives. phase 2 30 september...
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Site Conservation Objectives – a new approach?
• Background
• The Habitats Directive Review Project
• Proposed New Approach
• Air Pollution attributes?
HDIR Report 2012
• Recommendations of HDIR report
– (see executive summary)
• 4 themes:
i. Facilitating nationally significant infrastructure projects
ii. Improving implementation processes and streamlining guidance
iii. Improving the quality, quantity and sharing of data
iv. Improving the customer experience
Report Conclusions
• Need conservation objectives to assess ‘plans or projects’ Article 6(3)
• Objectives should be up-to-date, accessible and allow applicants to assess the impact of their proposed development against them.
• At present, in England, conservation objectives don’t comply• are not readily accessible;• don’t provide sufficient detail
• Adds to uncertainty in terms of defining / assessing data requirements
• Makes life for developers and competent authorities difficult
• Clear conservation objectives are also key in directing site management to maintain, or restore the site to favourable conservation status.
HDIR Report Recommendations
Recommendations
High Level Objectives
Phase 1 30 June 2012
Focussed consultation with key customers and developers Resource calculation (FTE) for delivery;principles on which sites will be prioritised development of project plan and timetable for production of ‘full’ conservation objectives.
Phase 2 30 September 2012wider customer consultation feedback and review of published approachDetermine (initial) target for habitats and species groups.Develop guidance
Phase 3 from January 2014production of ‘full’ Conservation Objectives guided by operational standard, and/or action plans for information improvement.
Draft Plan & Timings
Proposed Approach
Aim
• to produce quantifiable targets at European site level, at an appropriate detail to be useful to the Appropriate Assessment and decision making process; with targets including,
a. Area (ha) of annex 1 habitat
b. Populations of qualifying species (groups).
c. Structure/ function targets – quantifiable where we have sufficient knowledge or qualitative if not.
• Supported by
Mapped distribution of habitats and species within sites
• Aspiration - Conservation Objectives Standard?
• Links also to Art 17 and Art 12 reporting.
Attribute: Air quality
Target:
“Maintain or, where necessary, restore concentrations and deposition of air pollutants to at or below the site-relevant
critical load or level values given for the designated features of the site on the Air Pollution Information System
(www.apis.ac.uk)”.
Air Pollution Information System
“Site-relevant critical loads”
SAC feature
UNECE critical load
Site-relevant critical load
Annex I habitat type
EUNIS class
Per featurePer SAC
Challenges
• Critical load as a range (modifying factors)
• Habitats without a critical load
• Wetland sites that receive nitrogen from atmospheric and aquatic pathways
• Animal features
• Achievability of CL non-exceedance
• Setting quantitative thresholds of acceptable change (WG6)
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