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Development and Translocation

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Rex Sumner View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Rex Sumner Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Jun 2004 at 9:44am

What is the current situation with 'set aside' for farms?  Surely many farmers who are currently enjoying income from set aside but have a dearth of reptiles, would welcome being beneficiaries of translocation?

It seems to me that the major problem here is there is no obvious place for the developers to translocate the reptiles which is why they are dumping them.  Surely the first objective should be to have locations that can receive the translocated animals, the second to educate the developers that they are available.

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herpetologic2 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote herpetologic2 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Jun 2004 at 9:54am

Okay so roads are designed to be widened - many people who I have worked with are concerned about the cost of 'land take' in order to provide receptor sites for translocated animals -

With roads that are being widened such as the M25 Junc 12 to 15 and in other parts of the country - arable land should be taken from farmers to help create new habitat - Take a look at Basildon Council's proposed Local Plan they actually highlight that a large country park is being created so that protected wildlife can be translocated from elsewhere in the district - on gateway development sites!

Really what needs to happen is that development should be placed onto arable fields and the good reptile habitats left alone - these areas can then be extended into ex arable fields - large scale habitat creation is what is needed unfortuantlely we have groups like CPRE who are defending lovely green rolling fields which are wildlife deserts!

 

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calumma View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote calumma Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Jun 2004 at 9:55am
The first objective should be to ensure that very important sites are not lost ;-). It is very difficult to achieve this for widespread species under the current legislation. I'm not convinced that translocation is the right answer. Sometimes we need to look at sites that are under threat from development and simply draw a line in the sand.

The problem with set-aside is that farmers will take money from any source if it is offered. However, if there is a change in policy in the future why wouldn't a farmer simply re-plough a field that had previously been prepared as a reptile receptor site. In the past farmers have received subsidies to grub old orchards and then further subsidies to plant new orchards in a vicious cycle...

Lee

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Lee Brady

Kent Herpetofauna Recorder | Independent Ecological Consultant



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herpetologic2 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote herpetologic2 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Jun 2004 at 9:58am

Oh road widening schemes take decades to get off the ground and so in that time it is quite acceptable to look at roadside nature reserves - as they consitute the better habitat available at the time

Many road verges have ben in existence for over 30 years and so to highlight them as being important should help highlight them as areas where compensation is needed surely

 

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calumma View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote calumma Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Jun 2004 at 10:12am
I think the point that the countryside officer was making over roadside nature reserves, was that if they are all we are left with the world will be a very depressing place. He wanted to see effort targetting other areas rather than roads.

In Kent, road widening schemes are in progress in several areas and consultants are busy catching and moving reptiles elsewhere. In these cases the roadside verges have been naturally colonised by reptiles that have formed good populations. Yet the roadside verges are managed in order to facilitate roadside works and future expansion. To identify other similar verges as good receptor areas is worrying, particularly when they already support good reptile populations.

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Lee Brady

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote herpetologic2 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Jun 2004 at 11:32am

 

It is worrying - and I think the main reason why exisiting habitats are being targeted is that the consultants are pressed for time as they havent not followed possibly current guidelines which are taylored to the current legislation - which basically requires developers to employ consultants to remove reptile populations and hence the problem away from their development site.

What can be done to change things? how would we bring about change in the legislation? judging by the recent mitigation projects granted approval by DEFRA for GCN's I do not hold much hope

Inconsistency is a recurring theme around the issue of 'protected' species on the parts of English Nature, Wildlfie Trusts, local authorities and of course the developer!

Would proper law enforcement help things? it is a problem that offences under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended) are now arrestable offences but they are not recorded in the crime statistics and so Police forces are reluctant to act on these cases.

Would this turn up the heat on the developers and consultants oh and not to mention the Nature Conservation bodies that are technically breaking the law when it comes to protected wildlife?

 

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