Highland Biodiversity - Biodiversity - Biodiversity Action Planning

Highland Biodiversity - The Variety of Life

Biodiversity

[Biodiversity: What is Biodiversity? | The Biodiversity of Highland | Biodiversity Action Planning]

Biodiversity Action Planning

In the UK, Habitat Action Plans (HAPs) and Species Action Plans (SAPs) are being produced for a number of national priority habitats and species, many of which occur in Highland. To help deliver these national plans at a local level, the Government has encouraged the formation of Local Biodiversity Action Plans (LBAPs), which tend to be drawn up for local authority areas by a partnership of interests including councils, agencies and interest groups.

A plan has been produced for each area of Highland, focusing on the areas of Caithness, Sutherland, Ross & Cromarty East, Wester Ross, Skye & Lochalsh, Lochaber and Inverness & Nairn. Badenoch & Strathspey is already covered by the Cairngorms LBAP. The purpose of these plans is to raise awareness of local biodiversity, identify priority habitats and species and suggest projects and actions that could be undertaken by individuals, communities & agencies in the next five to ten years.

Local Biodiversity Action Plans are non-statutory, i.e. they are not legally binding. However, successive governments are placing increased emphasis on biodiversity and related issues, as can be seen by the recently published Scottish Biodiversity Strategy and Nature Conservation Scotland Act. It is widely accepted that such plans will become more and more important in the targeting of resources and setting of priorities for the natural heritage.

This is reflected in the Community Plan for Highland 2004/07. The plan contains a specific commitment to delivering a programme of local biodiversity action and awareness raising, supported by the Highland Wellbeing Alliance partners. It sets three year milestones to have a Biodiversity Officer in post and seven local groups established to take forward projects. The Highland Structure Plan (Highland Council, 2001) recognises the importance of Local Biodiversity Action Plans in identifying sites and species of local and national importance, outside statutory designations, which can inform local plan preparation and planning applications. It also highlights the benefits of LBAPs as a means of involving communities in the conservation and enhancement of biodiversity and in relation to identifying local biodiversity needs and aspirations.