Nature & Environment Index Page

Local people are being asked for their views on what is special about the wildlife and plantlife of Caithness in response to the consultation on the draft Caithness Biodiversity Action Plan, which was launched today.  People will have until the end of November 2002 to tell the Caithness Biodiversity Group what they like about the flora and fauna on their doorstep and what projects they would like to see undertaken to help protect or enhance it.

The Caithness Biodiversity Group first met in August and since then has been working to summarise what they think is special about the wildlife and plantlife of Caithness and how they would like to see it protected and enhanced.  The draft plan sets out a number of objectives and identifies locally and nationally important habitats and species, main issues and threats, current biodiversity projects and opportunities for action in six sections based on broad habitat types.

Barbara Bremner, group chairman said: "The government is placing increasing importance on biodiversity and related issues and we hope that our plan will be used to secure additional funding and resources towards projects in Caithness.  We hope that the local folk will tell us what they like about their environment and what they would like to see changed or improved.  We have already funded the initiation of a small tree nursery at Dunnet Forest and improvements to a trout spawning burn at Broubster and we are looking for other project ideas to support next year."

After the consultation process, the key agencies and organisations responsible for taking forward the plan will meet to agree a delivery plan of 'who' will do 'what' and 'when' within the next five to ten years. The final document will be launched in late February 2003.

Copies of the draft Caithness Biodiversity Action Plan are available at local libraries and post offices. For your own copy, contact Paul Castle on 01847 821531 (daytime) 01847 831215 (evening).

Comments are to be sent to Paul Castle, c/o Caithness Ranger Service, Dunnet Pavilion, Dunnet, Caithness by 30 November 2002.  If anyone would like to discuss this further, please either contact Paul on capacastle@btopenworld.com or myself on janet.bromham@highland.gov.uk, telephone 01463 702274.

Notes
The work of the Highland Biodiversity Project contributes to Local Agenda 21, an initiative to promote sustainable development backed by the Highland Council, key public agencies and the voluntary sector.

Biodiversity, short for 'biological diversity' is a relatively new word that has been coined to express the richness of nature and the variety of life. It came into use after the UK government signed up to the Convention on Biological Diversity at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992.  Local authorities and others are being encouraged to take local action to promote biodiversity, to compliment national action programmes.