Celtic Rainforests brief – production of Site Nitrogen Action Plans Introduction As part of the Celtic Rainforests Wales Project, National Park Authority wish to commission the production of Site Nitrogen Actions Plans (SNAPs) for the purposes of identifying key sources of atmospheric pollution affecting target habitats 91A0 (Old sessile oak woods with Ilex and Blechnum in the British Isles) and 9180 (Tilio-Acerion forests of slopes, screes and ravines) across 5 × Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) in Wales. In turn, the plans are intended to inform the future management of, and influence the decisions impacting on the SACs.

The Celtic Rainforests Wales Project Lead on behalf of a partnership by Snowdonia National Park Authority, the Celtic Rainforests Wales Project (the Project) is a 7-year scheme aimed at improving the conservation status of five Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) in Wales who’s feature habitats include Old sessile oak woods with Ilex ann Blechnum in the British Isles (91A0) and / or Tilio-Acerion forests of slopes, screes and ravines (9180). The five SACs which form the core focus area of the project are:

- Meirionnydd Oakwoods and Bat Sites - Eryri (southern section only) - Coed Cwm Einion - Coetiroedd Cwm Elan / Elan Valley Woodlands - Cwm Doethie – Mynydd Mallaen The project is primarily funded by the European Commission via their LIFE Nature and Biodiversity programme, with other key project contributors being the , RSPB Cymru, Coed Cadw / Woodland Trust, , and Dŵr Cymru / Welsh Water. The project has four primary objectives, outlined as follows:

1. The five named SACs, with a risk-based buffer around them, will be cleared of Rhododendron ponticum (Rp) whilst the presence of other invasive alien species (IAS) are reduced, and mechanisms established to maintain this in the long term;

2. Active woodland management, grazing and restoration, which will improve habitat condition, increase resilience, and improve ecosystem functions, are implemented at sites across the five SACs, supported by local partnerships;

3. Best practice methods including the 3-stage approach to Rp control, grazing tailored to the needs of individual woodland sites, and practical habitat restoration techniques that improve conditions are demonstrated to UK and EU stakeholders;

4. Cultural, wildlife and natural capital value is increased amongst locals, tourists, statutory agencies and governments, so communities cherish and value Celtic Rainforest, and engage with and support positive management for the benefit of future generations.

In addition, a further action relating to the production on SNAPs forms a key deliverable of the Project.

Background Work carried out by the LIFE Natura 2000 Programme for Wales in 2014/15 (LIFE11 NAT/UK/000385) identified air pollution, particularly nitrogen deposition, as a priority issue affecting Natura 2000 designated habitat and species features in Wales. Atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition leads to nutrient imbalances associated with eutrophication and acidification, resulting in declines in many of the key species of high conservation value at the expense of a smaller number of fast growing species that can exploit conditions of improved nitrogen supply. Since ongoing nitrogen deposition tends to accumulate in the ecosystem, even small inputs can eventually impact on species communities that are adapted to low nutrient conditions. In recognition of these effects, internationally agreed critical loads (CL) have been set for the protection of habitats where the exceedance of these critical loads indicates where there is the potential for harmful effects. Substantial pressure from UK and European policies over recent decades have resulted in a considerable reduction in NOx emissions, with an expected decrease of 55% between 2005 and 2020. However, the latest data shows that in Wales ammonia emissions have increased significantly since 2008. Many protected sites in Wales, including Natura 2000 sites, remain under substantial threat as thresholds for atmospheric nitrogen pollution effects are being exceeded across a large proportion of the Welsh Natura 2000 network.

Specification Details Development of Site Nitrogen Action Plans will identify strategic actions that can be implemented to address nitrogen pollution, including identifying key sources of pollution on a both a local, and national / international, scale. The plans will be used to inform future management and decision making impacting on the targeted SACs. Site Nitrogen Action Plans (SNAPs) will be produced for habitat types H9180 and H91A0 across the following SACs.

- Habitats 9180 and 91A0 within Meirionydd Oak Woods and Bat Sites SAC (including southern end of Eryri SAC); - Habitat 91A0 at Coed Cwn Einion SAC; - Habitat 91A0 at Cwm Doethie; - Habitat 9180 and 91A0 at Coetiroedd Cwm Elan / Elan Valley Woodlands.

The SNAPS will be developed utilising the methodology commissioned by NRW as part of the LIFE Natura 2000 Programme for Wales (Assessing and Addressing Atmospheric Nitrogen Impacts on Natura 2000 Sites in Wales, LIFE11 NAT/UK/000385). It is intended that the SNAPs will be disseminated to the relevant statutory bodies on a local and national scale, in addition to Welsh Government, and used to influence future site management and policy, including to prioritise actions aimed at improving SAC condition for those targets habitats listed.

Methodology In establishing SNAPs, a preceding investigation should be undertaken into the nitrogen impacts on the site’s conservation objectives. SNAPs should integrate various types of measures (national measures, local off-site sources and landscape measures, on-site management measures) in a coordinated plan that, alongside measures to address other impacts, ensures the integrity of the site is maintained and/or that deterioration is prevented. Establishing SNAPs should require a range of steps, set out as follows:

1. Identifying the location and sensitivity of habitats and analysing the current nitrogen deposition and concentration levels for the site, including source attribution (local / regional / national / international), and critical loads assessment; 2. Analysing the expected reduction in background N deposition at the site as a result of local, regional, national and / or international measures; 3. Identifying local emission sources and potential local and regional measures to further reduce nitrogen emissions, concentrations and deposition; 4. Detailing on-site habitat management measures and analysing the restoration measures that mitigate remaining (and legacy) nitrogen impacts; 5. Agree the delivery of appropriate actions (local emission reduction measures and habitat management and restoration measures) along a feasible timescale to secure the site integrity (in conjunction with measures to address any other issues affecting the site); along with the delivery mechanisms and the bodies responsible for their implementation; 6. Perform an ecological audit, to confirm that the expected reduction in N deposition together with the programmed habitat measures is likely to lead to achievement of the conservation objectives for the site.

Further information Previous work funded by Defra and Natural England explored the potential of spatially targeted measures to reduce nitrogen (N) deposition. This work included allocating emission source categories contributing to N deposition at each Natura 2000 site in England to a simple set of five ‘emission source allocations’ depending on the origin of the N deposited, from UK national atmospheric deposition and source attribution modelling. This approach was implemented for all SACs in England under the IPENS project (Improvement Programme for England’s Natura 2000 Sites).

Under the N2K Programme for Wales funded AAANIS project (Assessing and Addressing Atmospheric Nitrogen Impacts on Natura 2000 Sites in Wales), the IPENS approach was applied to all SACs with terrestrial designated features. Initial emission source allocations were assigned to each site, using a combination of the latest available source attribution dataset and the distance of the site’s boundaries to large intensive pig and poultry farms (falling under the Industrial Emissions Directive, IED, Figure 4) and major roads (data from the Department for Transport, DfT). Phase 1 – Data Sources The initial Phase 1 source attribution assessment requires the following datasets:

- UK source attribution dataset (year 2005) provided estimates of N deposition to each site produced from 160 different point and area emission sources; - IED permit database (2015) was used to assess whether a designated site was within a zone of influence; - (2km buffer zone) of an intensive permitted poultry farm; - OS OpenData (‘Strategi’ dataset) road network (2014) data were used to establish whether a designated site was with 200 m of a major road (motorway/A road/Primary road); - High-resolution Agricultural Census/Survey data for Wales (2014) were used to estimate the agricultural emission density and dominant emission sources near each designated site (< 2km from site boundary, or greater where disclosivity clauses in the data agreement were not met).

Phase 1 – Agricultural census summaries Agricultural sources, likely to play a substantial role in terms of local ammonia sources in the vicinity of Natura 2000 sites, were assessed in a more detailed analysis. This involved the derivation of summary data on likely ammonia emissions in the vicinity of each SAC in Wales, using the methodology developed under the IPENS project. This method estimates the proportion of the main agricultural sectors contributing to NH3 emissions in a local zone surrounding each SAC and an average NH3 emission density for these zones, using average UK emission factors. This use of high- resolution agricultural statistics was possible due to Welsh Government granting a project license. In order to comply with the data licensing agreement, emission estimates from each sector were made non-disclosive, i.e. each data point has to relate to at least 5 agricultural holdings. In extensive agricultural regions, where this requirement was not met, the buffer zone around the site boundary was increased in size to include further agricultural holdings. This methodology was applied to all SACs in Wales, with a non-disclosive dataset produced for the project. The AAANIS Report included a detailed desk based study of two exemplar Natura 2000 sites, following analysis of the outputs from Phase 1:

- Anglesey Fens SAC - Fenn’s, Whixall, Bettisfield, Wem and Cadney Mosses SAC

The results of these desk-based studies are presented in individual site-profiles which include a summary of the sites characteristics, graphics of the source contributions and potentially suitable measures, in an easily accessible format. SNAPs developed through the project will be presented in a similar format.

Scoring Criteria Tenders will be scored independently by a panel consisting of three members of staff associated with the LIFE Celtic Rainforests project using the scoring martrix and quality criteria as shown in Figures 1 and 2 (below). All tenders should be sent in an envelope labelled ‘Confidential’ and addressed as follows:

Tender - LIFE SNAPs Head of Corporate Services Snowdonia National Park Authority National Park Offices Penrhyndeudraeth Gwynedd LL48 6LF

Please note that should any tenders be received which do not follow the above instruction, they will not be considered.

Should you have any questions regarding the work, please contact Gethin Davies, LIFE Senior Project Manager, on [email protected] or by calling 01766 772 255.

The closing date for this tender is 12:00 noon on Friday, 15th May 2020.

Discussions regarding which format the final reports should be delivered to the Authority will be undertaken once a contractor is appointed. However, it is envisaged that they will be delivered electronically in Microsoft Word format and / or PDF upon completion, either on a USB pen or similar. In addition, all maps should be provided in a GIS format compatible with QGIS. The reports will be owned by the Snowdonia National Park Authority upon completion.

Criteria Weighting (%) Proposed fee 30

Ability to demonstrate previous experience in producing Site Nitrogen Actions 60 Plans in a Welsh / UK context, particularly if comparable with the context that which is outlined within this brief Reference(s) - minimum of one expected 10

Figure 1. Scoring matrix for LIFE SNAPs contract

Scoring - Quality Criteria (Min Threshold = 3) Capability Evidence Provided Score Remark Evidence is consistent, comprehensive, compelling, directly relevant to the project in Absolute all respects and highly credible (by being 5 Bidder is likely to be able Confidence to meet the needs of the substantiated by independent sources where Authority. possible.) Evidence is sufficient (in qualitative terms), 4 Confidence convincing, and credible.

Small risk that bidder will Evidence has minor gaps, or to a small extent not be able to meet the is unconvincing, lacks credibility or irrelevant 3 Minor Concerns needs of the Authority. to the project. Moderate risk that the bidder will not be able to Moderate Evidence has moderate gaps, is unconvincing. 2 meet the needs of the Concerns Authority Significant risk that the Evidence has major gaps, is unconvincing in bidder will not be able to many respects, lacks credibility, or largely 1 Major Concerns meet the needs of the irrelevant to the project. Authority. Bidder will not be able to meet the needs of the No evidence or misleading evidence. 0 Not acceptable Authority.

Scoring - Tender Price

Tender Price Score

Lowest Tender (L) 100 Nth Lowest Tender L/Ln x 100 (Ln)

Figure 2. Scoring Quality Criteria for LIFE SNAPs contract