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July 2006 - LOCAL INVOLVEMENT


The National Biodiversity Network (NBN) is home to all information on the nation’s biodiversity. You can find the Local Biodiversity Action Plan (LBAP) for your area from www.biodiversityscotland.org or www.searchnbn.net

The involvement of the people of Scotland is essential if we are to conserve biodiversity for today and the future. Across Scotland, people are taking action for biodiversity in their own ‘back yard’. Local Biodiversity Action Plan partnerships have been set up, involving government agencies, national and local voluntary bodies and community groups all working together. Local wildlife sites are being managed, greenspace networks established and gardens made more wildlife friendly. Public bodies are looking to include action for biodiversity in their everyday activities.

Map of LBAP AreasWherever you live in Scotland, there are opportunities to get involved in biodiversity conservation locally. Twenty-four Local Biodiversity Action Plans (LBAPs) cover the country from Shetland in the north to Galloway in the south and from the Western Isles/Na h-Eileanan Siar in the west to Aberdeen in the east.

Each LBAP is overseen by a partnership of national and local organisations, some of which also contribute funding to the project. In most cases core funding is provided by SNH and the Local Authority, with a variety of other organisations contributing in different circumstances. One or more LBAP Officers may be employed (usually by one of the partner organisations – most often the Local Authority) to promote and co-ordinate activities. In some areas, the additional post is a Community Biodiversity Officer, with a specific remit to encourage community involvement in the LBAP.

The work of LBAPs contributes in many ways to fulfilling the objectives of the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy, particularly in terms: of halting the loss of biodversity and bringing about the recovery of threatened habitats and species; increasing people’s awareness, enjoyment and understanding of biodiversity and getting more people involved in its conservation; integrating and co-ordinating consideration of biodiversity into all decision making; and ensuring that the most up-to-date knowledge of biodiversity is available to decision-makers.

Local Authorities have a duty to achieve “best value” in delivering the services which they provide, Guidance on “Best Value and Biodiversity in Scotland” is available via the Scottish Executive website. In addition, all public bodies have a duty under the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act to further the conservation of biodiversity in carrying out their functions.

An important function of LBAPs is to raise people’s awareness of their local biodiversity and what they can do to help. This applies to all sectors of society, and LBAPs may work with schools, youth groups, ethnic minorities, special-interest groups, businesses – in fact, anybody at all! This type of work can include arts projects, story telling, production of leaflets, websites or CDs, and a whole range of activities several steps removed from hands-on habitat or species management.

So what do LBAPs actually do? Most have by now completed the initial stage of drafting their own Local Biodiversity Action Plan. The Plan includes an assessment of which species and habitats are of particular importance in the local area. These will include species or habitats on the UK Biodiversity Action Plan priority list which occur locally, and also species and habitats considered important by local people. The Plan then sets out what needs to be done, and by whom, to improve the status of the chosen species and habitats. Some LBAPs may take on the function of identifying local sites of importance for biodiversity, which can then be taken into account by the authorities in decision-making.

Information on species distribution can be obtained from the National Biodiversity Network Gateway however, this is not comprehensive. The umbrella organisation BRISC (Biological Recording in Scotland) is working to improve the availability of data on the distribution of Scottish habitats and species through projects such as “Wildlife Counts”. In some areas Local Biodiversity Records Centres hold this information at a local level. Links to these Centres can be obtained from the BRISC website.

After deciding what needs to be done to improve the status of local biodiversity, resources must be found to do it. This may mean money, manpower or specialist expertise. Funding for project implementation can be sought from SNH under our “Supporting Biodiversity” or “Involving People” grant schemes, from locally-applicable European funds (e.g. Leader +), Landfill Tax Credit Schemes, Lottery funds, charitable trusts and a variety of other sources, including of course the LBAP partner organisations. Lottery funding is also currently available through the BBC Breathing Places campaign.

Other useful links:

Details of all of the LBAPs can be accessed via the UK BAP website

Forthcoming Biodiversity related events: