|
Structure of the working groups.
Since 1999 there has been a large steering group, which consisted of the various partners of organisations and individuals that made up the North Lanarkshire Biodiversity Partnership. |
 2.jpg) |
The purpose of these meetings was to inform the group about the progress of the various action plans and general information exchange. The large amount of information and varied topics meant that there was a lack of time to really focus on one action plan or habits.
In 2003, the core group agreed to take the North Lanarkshire Biodiversity Action Plan forward by creating a structure focussed on the delivery of the existing and any future action plans. Instead of a steering group, 5 new Habitat Working Groups were created in addition to the existing Education and Awareness Group the working groups will be peopled by members of the steering group and new partners in the Biodiversity Action Plan.
The forum will replace the steering group as a place for general discussion of the plans and an information exchange about biodiversity. To provide the opportunity for members of the public to find out what the North Lanarkshire Biodiversity Action Plan is up to there will be an annual forum meeting that will meet in the spring of each year. It will be the opportunity for anyone interested in the NL BAP to come along and find out more. Short presentations will be made from each of the working groups outlining the progress of specific plans or the working group in general.
Working groups.
There will be 5 new working groups covering the broad habitat types found in North Lanarkshire, in addition to the already existing Education and Awareness Group.
-
Bogs
-
Farmland/ rural land use
-
Urban
-
Water
-
Woodland
Each of the existing 16 North Lanarkshire Habitat and Species Action Plans sit in one of the habitat groups. This breaks down as follows:
|
Working group |
Related action plan |
|
Woodland |
Broadleaved and mixed woodland, willow tit, bluebell. |
|
Water |
Rivers and streams, Atlantic salmon, great crested newt, water vole, otter. |
|
Urban |
Bats, dwifts. |
|
Farmland and rural land use |
Floodplain grazing marsh, tedshank, lapwing and snipe, bean goose, barn owl,. |
|
Bogs |
Lowland raised and intermediate bogs, small pearl-bordered fritillary. |
The working groups will be responsible for reviewing these plans in the first instance and then setting an agreed annual programme of works by organisations and/ or individuals. This programme of works will be reviewed a year later and will provide information on the progress of that plan and also the data required for local and national monitoring of the various plans.
Monitoring will take place over the period of the financial year, April to March of the next year. This will follow most organisations work plan year.
The species action plans related to each working group, will report their progress to that working group. If desired sub-groups for SAPs could be created, again reporting to the working group.
In addition, the working groups will be required to report annually on the progress of the UK priority species and habitats found within their broad habitat that do not have action plans written for them. Much information about the status of these habitats is available and only needs collated from various sources.
|
Working group |
Related UK priority habitat or species. |
|
Woodland |
Bullfinch, song thrush, spotted flycatcher, black grouse, red squirrel, upland oak, upland ash and wet woodland. |
|
Water |
Reedbeds, fens, mesotrophic lakes. |
|
Urban |
None. |
|
Farmland and rural land use |
Lowland wood pasture and parkland, calcareous grassland, cereal field margins, reed bunting, linnet, skylark, tree sparrow, brown hare. |
|
Bogs |
Blanket bog. |
Timetable for meetings 2003 and 2004.
June 2003 – members of the working groups recruited, or potential members identified, at the steering group meeting. Chairs of the working groups nominated.
June - September 2003 – first meetings of the working groups. Looking at annual work plans for each action plan, review of existing plans and their actions and identifying any new plans required for that broad habitat.
Feb/March 2004 – monitoring reporting meeting for 2003. Setting of annual work programme for organisations individuals 2004 and 2005.
It is envisaged that the working groups will meet twice a year (possibly three times in the first year) with meetings lasting no more than 3 hours. The biodiversity officer will sit on all of the working groups.
|
Search NorthWeb
