Implementation of the
Red Squirrel
Species Action Plan

The UK government ratified the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), in 1994. The Convention requires Contracting Parties to create and enforce national strategies and action plans to conserve, protect and enhance biological diversity. To meet this statutory obligation, the government published the UK Biodiversity Action Plans (UK BAP, Anon, 1995), which sets out key conservation targets and actions, to be achieved over a 20-year period, for selected habitats and species of concern in the UK. The targets and actions are set out in the Habitat Action Plans (HAPs) and Species Action Plans (SAPs) and are transcribed into implementation plans, stating how the actions will be met and the work carried out by regional and local groups. The red squirrel, as a result of its conservation status, is the subject of a UK Species Action Plan (SAP, UK BAP red squirrel SAP 1995).

The UKRSG has drawn up an implementation plan for the red squirrel SAP, linking the work of the country squirrel fora, and local BAP groups, which have been set up to carry out the conservation work at country and local levels. The UK Red Squirrel Group (UKRSG) co-ordinates the conservation efforts of the country fora and regional and local groups to ensure that there is a comprehensive, holistic overview towards red squirrel conservation in the UK. For details of how this strategy has been transcribed into actions, please see the implementation plan - a table that sets out the specific actions required in order to achieve the targets of the action plan with the lead partners responsible to fulfil the task. The implementation plan is reviewed annually by the UKRSG.

Implementation of the UK Species Action Plan (PDF 15kb)

The implementation plan is set out in the order of the Red Squirrel SAP, detailing how the proposed actions highlighted in the SAP will be addressed and often breaking them down into smaller finite actions to be carried out. It identifies at what level the action needs to be carried out e.g. at a specific region, country or UK level, how high a priority it is for red squirrel conservation and the likely costs to be incurred. The implementation plan also identifies a lead organisation for each action, main contact point and details who else should be involved as well as giving details of the time plan and progressed made towards fulfilling that action.

For example, under 5.1.1 the second action to 'Complete process for prioritising areas of red squirrel conservation management. Achieve agreement of sites' needs to be conducted from the local to UK level. It is a high priority action as these sites will help us maintain a high percentage of the current red squirrel population. The UKRSG has been identified as the lead organisation as it needs to be co-ordinated at a UK level but should involve all relevant local and country groups and statutory land owners, with main contact points given for each of the countries. There has been good progress made to fulfill this action but there are further areas that need to be addressed at the next UKRSG meeting.