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Natural Heritage

 

Shetland has rich and varied natural heritage, being home to many significant species of animal and plants and internationally important habitats, such as blanket bog. The geology of Shetland is very varied, particularly when considering the land area of the Islands, spanning almost 3 billion years.
The varied natural heritage requires varied management or conservation, with important input from both the public and private sector, including vital input from land owners and managers.

 

The Biodiversity Duty
The Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004 gives all public bodies in Scotland a duty to “further the conservation of biodiversity” as they carry out their work. This Biodiversity Duty means that the Council has a duty to consider the impact on biodiversity of all its activities. This legislation gives the Council an important role in recognising its impact on biodiversity, and working to protect the Island’s biological inheritance. The Biodiversity Duty applies to Council activities and operations and to plans and policies.

 

Shetland Islands Council Natural Heritage Grants Scheme

The SIC has a grant scheme specifically for natural heritage projects. Natural heritage encompasses biodiversity, geology and landscape.

The Natural Heritage Grants Scheme (NHGS) is open to applications for between £250 and £5000 towards natural heritage projects. The scheme aims to support local, mainly community-based, projects with an emphasis on natural heritage.

In order to be eligible, your project needs to meet one or more of the NHGS criteria, therefore you should be able to demonstrate that it:

  • Makes a positive contribution to the natural heritage of the local area;
  • Contributes to natural heritage objectives;
  • Is specifically focussed on natural heritage; or
  • Seeks to increase public involvement in, or awareness and understanding of the natural heritage of Shetland.

Once it has been determined that your project fulfils at least one of these criteria, it is important that any existing natural heritage features are preserved.

For a full list of eligibility criteria click here

If interested in applying for the SIC NHGS, please contact the SIC Natural Heritage Officer, using the e-mail address below, who will be happy to discuss your proposals

natural.heritage@shetland.gov.uk

NHGS Leaflet

 
Living Shetland

Living Shetland is the Island’s Local Biodiversity Action Plan (LBAP), it identifies locally important habitats and species and highlights and promotes actions to conserve these. It also highlights actions from key sectors, such as the agricultural sector, and promotes and encourages action for biodiversity at the community level, through the Community Biodiversity Action Plans. Living Shetland has been developed with a wide range of organisations, but the Council co-ordinates its development and implementation.

LBAPs are a way of stimulating effective local action for national priorities identified in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan, as well as for species and habitats, which are important at the local level. LBAPs are also aimed at stimulating new projects at the local level, with local involvement.

LBAPs aim to:

  • Translate national targets for habitats and species, as specifies in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan, into effective action at the local level
  • Stimulate effective local working partnerships to ensure that programmes for biodiversity conservation are developed and maintained
  • Raise awareness of the need and responsibilities for biodiversity conservation and enhancement in the local context
  • Identify biodiversity resources and priorities in the local area
  • identify targets for species and habitats important to the local area, including both the rare and the common, according to local circumstances
  • Ensure that delivery mechanisms for conservation and enhancement of biodiversity resources are promoted and understood at the local level
  • Provide a local basis for monitoring progress in biodiversity conservation

Living Shetland now has its own website, which is home to all things relating to the Local Biodiversity Action Plan. New and exisiting information, and documents relating to Living Shetland will be available to download here

Contacts

Heritage Section
Planning Service
Infrastucture Services Department
Grantfield
Lerwick
Shetland
ZE1 0NT

Email: natural.heritage@shetland.gov.uk
Phone: +44 (01595) 744800