Management of the Natural Environment and Landscape

Question 1

You say you took advice from an external expert on habitat restoration masterplanning, at which point in this work did you provide advice? How does this meet level 3?

Answer 1

Taking advice form various consultants and ecological surveys, utilising the recommendations of professionals to create paper advising on options for decision making moving forward and presenting a recommended course of action.

Question 2

How would you advise you client how to capitalise the natural capital?

Answer 2

Peatland (tying in Peatland Action restoration works) and Woodland Carbon Codes. Pending soil carbon code. Can also capitalise on socio-economic elements via the planning system and working to create sustainable developments within areas of biodiverse importance.

Question 3

What was your role in preparing the application for the public access path works scheme?

Answer 3

Project manager

Question 4

What are the benefits of undertaking riparian planting?

Answer 4

Riparian woodlands play a crucial role in helping maintain the health and productivity of rivers and burns; they protect river banks, control erosion, capture and recycle mineral nutrients, increase biodiversity and filter pollutants.

Question 5

Is there grant funding available for that?

Answer 5

Yes, the Woodlands for Water scheme through the Forestry Grant Scheme.

Question 6

Is a felling licence required for removal of damaged trees?

Answer 6

You need felling permission to fell windblown trees. This includes amending a Long Term Forest Plan if the blown area is not an existing coupe.

Question 7

What is the purpose of a Long Term Forest Plan?

Answer 7

Provides a description of the woods as they are now. Outlines the main points considered when deciding what is best for the woods. Describes how the forest will develop over time. Gives specific information about approved tree felling, replanting and regeneration over the next ten years.

Question 8

Can you tell me the process required for the Peatland Carbon Code?

Answer 8

Check eligibility
Register on UK Land Carbon Registry
Submit project docs
Send to certification body
Project validation issued
Pending Issuance Units (PIUs) available to sell
Start restoration works works
Inspection within 1 year
At year 5, PIUs converted to Peatland Carbon units (PCUs) on registry
Every 10 years PIUs for that period converted

Question 9

What is the going rate for PIUs in PCC and WCC?

Answer 9

PCC PIUs = £15-25/PIU
WCC PIUs = £10-20/PIU

Question 10

What legislation governs designated sites and who is responsible for policing them?

Answer 10

Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004
NatureScot
LNCS - local authority

Question 11

What is the eligibility for LFASS?

Answer 11

Farmers actively farming land in a Less Favoured Area. LFA = mountainous and hill farming areas.

Question 12

What is a RAMS map?

Answer 12

Risk Assessment for Manure and Slurry - considers areas not suitable to spread manure or slurry and ranked on high, moderate and low risk areas across the farm.

Question 13

You have experience with AECS schemes – what is the overarching principle of AECS?

Answer 13

Promotes land management practices which protect and enhance Scotland’s natural heritage, improve water quality, manage flood risk and mitigate and adapt to climate change

Question 14

What is a RAMSAR site?

Answer 14

Ramsar Sites are wetlands of international importance that have been designated under the criteria of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands for containing representative, rare or unique wetland types or for their importance in conserving biological diversity.

Question 15

What is the rate of payment for the public access route within IPA?

Answer 15

£18.20/sqm of new unbound surface path

Question 16

If you had identified that you had a specific bird which was one of the key species, how would you approach that and design your scheme around that?

Answer 16

Site supports Red Kite and Herring Gull - both priority species. I would instruct a more detailed species survey to be conducted by a specialist to provide specific advice on how those habitats might be managed. That advice would feed into the wider management plan for the area.

Question 17

Why was your site designated an LNCS?

Answer 17

Large area of fen and reedbed habitat with
woodlands and wetlands, which support a
very good diversity of wetland and
woodland plants and invertebrates together
with a number of breeding and roosting
birds.