| When
was the original status awarded? |
Biosphere status in Galloway
was originally approved by UNESCO in 1976 having been nominated
by the Nature Conservancy Council.
|
| Is
it under threat, and if so for what reasons? |
The
area of the current biosphere is not under any particular
threat - although the designation will be lost unless efforts
are made to develop a case for retention. The ultimate driver
for this is UNESCO through their regular review process.
|
| Is
the new designation criteria any different to the last? |
The
original criteria for a biosphere were primarily about scientific
conservation and research. Sites were chosen to represent
the main ecosystems of the planet, but it was also considered
vital that these sites should provide opportunities for research.
The role of local people in these ecosystems was recognised
but the importance of sustainable development only became
a stated criteria when the designation was reviewed in 1995.
|
| What
forms of support to the region has the status brought and through
what mechanisms? |
To
date no specific additional support has been attracted to
the region as a result of the presence of the biosphere reserve
although it is likely that the fact that there is a biosphere
reserve in Galloway will have attracted some additional visitors.
|
| In
what ways are the local communities involved, and through what
national or local organisations? |
To
date there has been no particular involvement of local communities.
|
| Who
are the UK representatives on the UNESCO Biosphere committees,
and who appoints them? |
This
has changed recently: UK MAB
National
Committee Members are now:
Chairman
& Secretary:
Andrew Bell
North Devon Coast & Countryside Service
Bideford Station
East the Water
Bideford
Devon EX39 4BB
Tel: +44 (0)1237 423655
andrew.bell@devon.gov.uk
| Members: |
|
Robert Ford
Department for Environment,
Food and Rural Affairs
Temple Quay House
2 The Square
Temple Quay
Bristol BS1 6EB
trevor.salmon@defra.gsi.gov.uk
|
Richard Butler
Crawfordton
Bickleton
Fremington
Barnstable
Devon EX31 3GG
Tel: +44 1848 200626
Fax: +44 20 7389 4497
richard@crawfordton.net
|
Rachel Hellings
National Strategy Officer
Scottish Natural Heritage
Battleby
Redgorton
Perth, PH10 7JT
Tel: +44 1738 444177
Fax: +44 1738 111180
rachel.hellings@snh.gov.uk
|
Sally Bailey
Forestry commission
Edinburgh
|
Pete Frost
Countryside Council for Wales
Maes-y-Ffynnon
Fford Penrhos
Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2DN
Tel: 01248 385 682
Fax: 01248 385 571
p.frost@ccw.gov.uk
|
Gerald Dawe
Chair, UK Urban Forum
geralddawe@aol.com
|
Martin Price
Director
Centre for Mountain Studies
University of the Highlands and Islands
Millennium Institute
Crieff Road
Perth PH1 2NX
Tel: +44 1738 877217
Fax: +44 1738 631634 martin.price@groupwise.uhi.ac.uk
|
Sally Thomas
Head of Countryside Team
Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department
Countryside and Natural Heritage Division
Room 440 Pentland House
47 Robb's Loan
Edinburgh EH14 1TY
sally.thomas@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
|
Stuart Lane
Natural England
Northminster House
Peterborough PE1 1UA
Tel: +44 1733 455111
Fax: +44 1733 568834
tim.hill@english-nature.org.uk
|
Royal Geographic Society are copied in on minutes
etc (they used to have a member on the committee) and
Wildlife & Countryside Link are also copied in on
stuff. |
DEFRA are tasked with organising the programme in the UK and
most of the committee are agency appointees.
|
| What
local meetings have taken place in relation to the relevant
areas in Galloway and Ayrshire over the past 12 months? |
The only meetings
we know of are those that make up the current series.
|
| What
restrictions does designation bring to the three areas? |
-
Core – no specific restrictions above those that
are already in place as a result of other designations
such as SSSI, SAC or NNR.
-
Buffer – no specific restrictions but land management
should be sensitive to the importance of the core.
-
Transitional – no restrictions
It is worth emphasising that Biosphere Reserves are non-statutory
and involvement in them is wholly voluntary.
|
| Who
will manage the Biosphere if it goes ahead? |
| There is no
prescribed management structure. It is up to local communities,
businesses and agencies to decide how they want to see the
Biosphere managed.
|
| Who
will apply for designation and how will the current consultation
affect the process (apart from saying yes it's a good idea)?
|
The
actual re-designation process involves a lengthy application
form - and someone will have to be paid to complete it. It
is not clear as yet who will fund this - nor who will be employed
to do it. The current consultation will be to make it clear
whether or not there is support for the idea, what opportunities
and threats people foresee, and what issues would need to
be addressed if the idea was to be taken forward. It is likely
that the current steering group (made up of the three local
authorities, SNH, FCS and Scottish Enterprise) will submit
the application collectively. There will be an ongoing need
to grow and develop local support as part of the application
process.
|
| What happens after this public consultation?
|
A report will
be produced to summarise the views that have been expressed
- positive and negative. It will be up to others to decide
what happens next, but we would be disappointed if no further
action took place. We believe some useful ideas have come
forward and it would be worth developing some of these even
if the Biosphere Reserve does not go forward.
|
