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Back to Environment HOMEPAGE
SEERAD's comments 28 May 03 on the
Nature Conservation (Scotland) Bill
Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs
Department
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/pages/news/2003/05/SENW528.aspx
(filed 24 October 03)
www.land-care.org.uk
Land-Care Editorial Note
The Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department
(SEERAD) made the following comments (28 May 03) on its website
regarding the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Bill. Land-Care is
simply making these comments available to its readers, and by
so doing does not infer its approval of the content of the Bill.
NATURE CONSERVATION (SCOTLAND) BILL
The Bill will:
* Bring forward essential measures to conserve and enhance Scotland’s
unique natural heritage
* Create strong action to reduce environmental crime and conserve
biodiversity
* Reflect the Executive’s wider commitments to environmental
justice, to rural Scotland and to local communities
* Reform the SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest) system for
Scotland’s most special places and natural habitats for vulnerable
species
* Provide incentives to landowners to protect SSSIs rather than
paying compensation for not damaging them with speculative developments
* Build upon the delivery of custodial sentences and other measures
for wildlife criminals in the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2003
Background
The Nature Conservation Bill was published in
draft on March 11, 2003. It fulfils an undertaking given by
the First Minister in May 2002.
The Bill is a broadly popular legislative
measure which enjoys strong support among environmental Non-Governmental
Organisations and concerned members of the public, especially its
provision on nature crime. It has been developed with assistance
of an Expert Working Group, made up of organisations involved in
conserving Scotland’s natural heritage who published detailed
proposals in the policy paper, The Nature of Scotland, launched in
May 2001.
The Nature of Scotland outlined ways to provide
incentives for positive management of SSSIs by their landowners
or occupiers, so that more land managers could benefit from owning
an SSSI.
The bill significantly extends stakeholder involvement in relation
to the SSSI system. It has been developed with the assistance of
a widely-based Expert Working Group, drawing on representatives
of all key interest groups.
Public consultation on the draft Nature Conservation
Bill ends on June 6.
Further Reading recommended by Land-Care
 Scottish
Countryside Alliance (2003). SCA response to draft Nature Conservation
(Scotland) Bill.
See Environment HOMEPAGE, filed 24 Oct 03, www.land-care.org.uk,
CLICK
HERE TO VIEW
The
draft Nature Conservation (Scotland) Bill may be accessed from:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/pages/news/2003/03/SEen382.aspx
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