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Protecting Designated Areas Ciaran O’Keeffe Director, NPWS Séirbhís na bPáirceanna Náisiúnta agus Fiadhúlra An Roinn Comhshaoil, Oidhreachta agus Rialtais Áitiúil

Protecting Designated Areas Ciaran O’Keeffe

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Protecting Designated Areas Ciaran O’Keeffe. Director, NPWS Séirbhís na bPáirceanna Náisiúnta agus Fiadhúlra An Roinn Comhshaoil, Oidhreachta agus Rialtais Áitiúil. Habitats Directive requires Ireland to. Set up Special Areas of Conservation to protect 60 different habitats and 25 species - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Page 1: Protecting Designated Areas Ciaran O’Keeffe

Protecting Designated AreasCiaran O’Keeffe

Director, NPWSSéirbhís na bPáirceanna Náisiúnta agus Fiadhúlra

An Roinn Comhshaoil, Oidhreachta agus Rialtais Áitiúil

Page 2: Protecting Designated Areas Ciaran O’Keeffe

Habitats Directive requires Ireland to

• Set up Special Areas of Conservation to protect 60 different habitats and 25 species

• Give strict protection (without designation) to all places used by bats, otters,

Page 3: Protecting Designated Areas Ciaran O’Keeffe

Birds Directive requires Ireland to

• Protect populations of all species of birds

• Set up Special Protection Areas in the most important areas used by birds:– Areas of very high usage e.g. estuaries– Areas used for breeding or other stages by

listed rare or “at risk” species

Page 4: Protecting Designated Areas Ciaran O’Keeffe

Habitats for which Ireland is especially important

• “PRIORITY”• Stable sand dunes• Turloughs• Raised bog• Blanket Bog• Machair • Limestone Pavement

• Other examples• Sea cliffs• White sand dunes• Large Bays; Reefs• Clean lakes• Old oak woods• Degraded raised bogs• 60 in all

Page 5: Protecting Designated Areas Ciaran O’Keeffe

Species requiring SACs include

• Otter• Salmon • Grey Seal • Common Seal• Porpoise• Freshwater Pearl

Mussel

• 25 in all in Ireland• Also relevant is the

UN Convention on Biological Diversity (the Rio Convention)

• Ireland signed up in 1992 and Taoiseach re-stated support in 2002

Page 6: Protecting Designated Areas Ciaran O’Keeffe

IRELAND’S MOST ENDANGERED SPECIES?

Page 7: Protecting Designated Areas Ciaran O’Keeffe

Perhaps more important for what they represent rather than as rare species themselves

They occur in wetlands and damp areas which are the remnants of ecosystems thousands of years old

Not just small - they are rare

Page 8: Protecting Designated Areas Ciaran O’Keeffe
Page 9: Protecting Designated Areas Ciaran O’Keeffe
Page 10: Protecting Designated Areas Ciaran O’Keeffe

Why so much in the West

• The Directive lays out the habitats which must be protected

• In Ireland these occur predominantly in the West, due to climate, geology and history

Page 11: Protecting Designated Areas Ciaran O’Keeffe

Other Annexes

• Annex IV lists species which must be very strictly protected (all bats, all cetaceans, otter, Kerry slug, Natterjack Toad)

• Annex V lists species whose taking capture must be regulated (includes the hare)

Page 12: Protecting Designated Areas Ciaran O’Keeffe

Article 6• Member States shall establish necessary

conservation measures to protect sites

• Member States shall take appropriate steps to avoid the deterioration of natural habitats and species (not just “Dúchas”!)

• Any project or plan must be subject to an appropriate assessment…must not affect the integrity of the site

Page 13: Protecting Designated Areas Ciaran O’Keeffe

Area of Onshore and Offshore designationsTotal Area 1.6 million ha57% on land, 43% marine

0

200,000

400,000

600,000

800,000

SAC NHA SPA

Onshore

Offshore

Page 14: Protecting Designated Areas Ciaran O’Keeffe

Elements of a protocol on projects to ensure conformity

with Habitats and Birds Directives

• Screening• Examination of alternatives• EIA• Decision• Mitigation/compensatory habitat• Derogation

Page 15: Protecting Designated Areas Ciaran O’Keeffe

What assessments are needed?

• Need for Strategic Environmental Assessment?

• Need for EIA? Full or partial?

Page 16: Protecting Designated Areas Ciaran O’Keeffe

Screening

• Is a project likely to have a significant impact on a Natura 2000 site?

• Size, land take,

• Physical change resulting, e.g. drainage

• Emissions, waste, resource requirements e.g. water abstraction

• Disturbance during build and operation

• Cumulative impacts

Page 17: Protecting Designated Areas Ciaran O’Keeffe

Alternatives• Must always seek a site/route that is least

damaging for habitats/species/integrity of Natura 2000 site

• If a project is proposed on a Natura 2000 site and it will have impacts, it is essential to show that alternatives have been fully investigated and that no feasible alternative exists

• Only health&safety allowed as considerations in case of priority habitat

Page 18: Protecting Designated Areas Ciaran O’Keeffe

“Over riding public interest

• the citizens' life (health, safety, environment);

• - within the framework of fundamental policies for the State and the Society;

• - within the framework of carrying out activities of economic or social nature, fulfilling

• specific obligations of public service.

Page 19: Protecting Designated Areas Ciaran O’Keeffe

EIA

• Ensure compliance with EU Habitats Regulations and Wildlife Acts

• Should also consider areas of value to wildlife even if not designated e.g. pNHAs local Biodiversity Areas, ecological corridors

Page 20: Protecting Designated Areas Ciaran O’Keeffe

Mitigation

• Avoids adverse impact

• Requires monitoring to ensure success

• Flexibility so that feedback from monitoring can if necessary change the work

Page 21: Protecting Designated Areas Ciaran O’Keeffe

Compensatory provision

• Where human health and safety considerations, or environmental benefit, apply and there is no alternative

• Set in process design of compensatory measures, i.e. creation or restoration of equivalent habitat consistent with objectives for Natura site

• Results of “compensation” should be effective at time of damage

• Notify / consult Commission

Page 22: Protecting Designated Areas Ciaran O’Keeffe

Further information

• NPWS Divisional Ecologists

• http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/nature_conservation/eu_nature_legislation/specific_articles/art6/index_en.htm