SITE DESCRIPTION

Though this can simply be shown on a map, it is useful to have some written details of the location for quick reference. These details can include the local planning authority, a grid reference for the centre of the site and the distance to towns and cities.

In some situations, a plan can extend beyond the boundaries of the protected site in order to include an area large enough to maintain the ecological integrity/continuity of the habitats within the site. Such a plan may include buffer zones around the core site or internal zonation within it. In other situations, the plan may simply cover all or just part of the protected area or seek to establish connections with other protected areas nearby.

Many Protected Areas are covered by a range of overlapping designations which might stretch from a National Park and a Natura 2000 status to a country-specific site type or a regional or local designation. Non-nature conservation designations may also be relevant, such as for historic sites. They all need to be listed and mapped in the plan. Each designation may have its own specific set of regulations, policy constraints and opportunities which may need to be explained.

As far as possible, plans for overlapping designations should be integrated (or there should even be a single plan). This requires detailed knowledge of the objectives and actions of each relevant designation.

In 2017, Eurosite members organised an international conference on integrated conservation management. The presentations on this page provide a good resource for further information.

Links to additional information

• Example: Coordinated management and networking of Mediterranean wetlands – Regulatory Famework Report Verdier Marshes – English, French

Ownership information can be shown in map form, but a quick reference table can also be helpful. This section provides detail on the owners of different parts of the site, tenants and agreement holders.

If relevant, the section on land ownership could contain brief information on purchases made by the managing organisation or other parties, dates when designations were made, and details of any access (or other) rights, reservations or covenants applicable to the land.

Expiry dates of leases and agreements can be included. Furthermore, adding the storage locations of leases and other legal documents can be very helpful. In all cases, however, it is important to consider how sensitive and/or private information is kept secure.

Links to additional information

• Example: Land ownership table

Not all plans cover access and infrastructure aspects – these aspects are sometimes dealt with in a separate, add-on plan. There are advantages in having an all-inclusive plan though. Such a plan can consider the potential impacts from visitor pressures, as well as the benefits in terms of people engagement, education, support and even income generation.

A description of the access and infrastructure of the site can include anything used or provided for visitors, such as paths, public transport, car parks or visitor centres (see the example provided). It could also include infrastructure used for the management of the site, such as tracks, hides or even offices. Infrastructure that impacts the site, such as powerlines, roads or railways can also be covered.

Links to additional information

• Example: National Nature Reserves in England – Access and Visitor Facilities

Typically, a plan is likely to require sections describing flora, fauna (with sub-sections as necessary) and particular species communities or assemblages.

The style of this section depends on the audience for which the plan is being written. Frequently, plan authors use simple, easily understood statements which make their value clear to a broad spectrum of readers. For example: Site A is “probably the richest site in the country for invertebrates and fungi. More than half of the total native beetle fauna is found there.”

Since a plan which will largely be seen and used by colleagues and other professional nature conservationists, it can be wise to use more technical language. Furthermore, while long lists of species may simply make the plan too big, references could (and perhaps should) be made to other sources of more detailed information. However, information on the location of sensitive rare species might best be generalised or avoided altogether.

Links to examples of good practice

• http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/legislation/habitatsdirective/docs/Int_Manual_EU28.pdf
• http://eunis.eea.europa.eu/
• Example biological features overview

The purpose of this section is to explain why the site or protected area is important, drawing on the relevant designations and other sources. Some plans may be required to cover only the features which are listed in the relevant designation(s), whilst others may include additional biological features.

A well-written, simple summary description of the features that make the site important can be really useful as a quick reference that can be copied for other purposes. Alternatively (or additionally), biological features can be set out in a table that links them to the relevant designation.

Links to additional information

• Example: Biological features description
• Example: Biological features table

Commonly the physical features section would include geology, geomorphology, soils, climate, hydrology, as well as any other information about physical features relevant to the management of the site. Depending on the purpose of the site, brief descriptions may be adequate for the plan; fuller details can be hyperlinked or referenced. A site with important geological or other physical features would of course be given a section with a description of these aspects of similar depth to sites of biological interest.

Links to additional information

• Example: Physical features description

This section is often used to explain how the area came to be the way it is. It usually covers the last 50-100 years, which informs our understanding of present day issues and perhaps, how to tackle them. The history of land use may help us understand the degree of ‘naturalness’ of the area, which in turn can inform thinking on the scope of restoration or rewilding efforts. A section on current use of the area is usually useful too, for example by describing where agricultural use could benefit and/or threaten the site through grazing or the use of pesticides. The same might apply to recreational pressures.

Looking at the future, it might be worthwhile to explore what potential the site has to provide ecosystem services such as flood storage or carbon sequestration.

Links to additional information

• Example: Socio-economic description

The research features section could be approached in (at least) two ways; perhaps including both is better than just one or the other.

Firstly, the management plan is a good place to summarise what, in broad terms, is known about the site. This helps to identify where the information gaps are – what don’t you know that you need to know in order to meet the site’s objectives? These could be, for example, species inventories or population trends; water quality or other hydrological factors; or patterns of visitor access to the site.

Secondly, many protected areas have been the focus of environmental research for many years. It is useful to document the main projects that have been undertaken, as well as the subject areas. In particular, it is advisable to identify any long term datasets that may require further survey and/or the need to keep valuable datasets safe and made available to those who might use them.