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Colin Prosser, Mailing List Wint r 2002 Commo ground Overlaps between geology and archaeology Terms of endearment ­ the language of geological conservation • New research initiatives from English Nature • Dodgy fossils - the ethics of collecting • UK RIGS conference report Just like the stock market, geoconservation seems to have good and bad STOP PRESS: days! Although we are still undeniably a 'minority sport' amidst the big Sustainability Fund ­ UNESCO has announced that 95 miles of conservation players, our overall market share and appeal appear to be the Dorset and East Devon coast - the growing. On the 'up-side', the World Heritage designation ofthe Dorset • and East Devon 'Jurassic Coast' marks a major advance! So too does the Jurassic Coast - are to be designated a strengthening link between geoconservationists (if I can call us that - see What's In it for geology? World Heritage Site. The coast is already pages 12-13) and those concerned with the built environment. This issue of On April I 2002, the Aggregates Levy comes part of the revenue protected by a network of geological Sites Earth Heritage focuses on a number of initiatives designed to exploit the of Special Scientific Interest and the new intimate links between architecture, archaeology, geology and into being. This is in effect a tax on the raised through the tax. designation recognises the global geomorphology - with the help of English Heritage, Historic Scotland and commercial exploitation of aggregate, and significance of the area. Its exposures span the Scottish Stones Liaison Group. The Stone in Wales conference, has been set initially at £1.60 per tonne. After an initial 185 million years of time. scheduled for April in Cardiff next yew; also provides a major opportunity consultation during to share experience and promote geoconservation (see page 20). The argument for the levy is that there are 2000, a second significant environmental costs associated consultation appeared in We shall take a closer look in the mid-year On the 'down-side', perhaps akin to a short-lived dot.com trader, it is with quarrying that are not already covered England in October 200 I issue of Earth Heritage. disappointing to record the demise ofa 'geoconservation'function in the by regulation. These include noise, dust, giving detailed proposals Royal Society for Nature Conservation (RSNC). Thirty seven out of the 47 visual intrusion, loss of amenity and damage of how this fund would Wildlife Trusts own or manage geological SSSI, yet the RSNC's IO-point to biodiversity. It is intended that the levy be spent. The most Conservation Plan - Protecting wildlife for the future - sadly contains no will bring about environmental benefits by significant proposals for NTS specific aspirations for geoconservation' Accordingly, Rockwatch activities ......................................................o '" Ill Ill . making the price of aggregates better reflect those with an interest in : COVER PICJURE: : have returned to their parent body, the Geologists' Association, and UKRIGS has found a new home - the National Stone Centre in Derbyshire these costs, and by encouraging the use of nature conservation, These coastal exposures at Morannedd in Gwynedd provide recycled materials and certain waste centre on reducing the important information about the nature and timing of glacial events in (see page 7). Whether the good work ofearlier RSNC geoconservation products. This is one of a number of'green local effects of aggregate North Wales. Coastal erosion here maintains an excellent level of initiatives can be salvaged by the creation ofa partnership Earthtrust body exposure, and conservation therefore involves acceptance of natural remains to be seen. taxes' being considered or implemented by extraction. They include change. See Terms of Endearment, pages 12-13. the Government. It is broadly welcomed by proposals to fund work We hope you enjoy this issue. Ifyou would like to contribute to future Photo by Stewart CampbelllCountryside Council for Wales environmentalists and strongly opposed by that increases biodiversity, conserves some way, and would be administered issues, please contact your local EH editor (details below). Here's to the minerals extraction industry. geological features, conserves the historic through appropriate government agencies sustainable (geoconservation) growth and an expanding share of the environment and addresses old mineral such as the Countryside Agency, English 'conservation market'! pages 3-8 Ofparticular interest to those with a permissions and projects in the local Heritage and English Nature. Other proposals conservation standpoint is the £35 million community. These would all need to be include working to minimise the demand for Sustainability Fund being generated by using directly related to aggregate extraction in primary aggregate and researching more M J /l \.Jul.. Stewart Campbell, sustainable construction and demolition .~1e.....-I ~ M=aging Ed,la, practices. At the time of writing, the prospect of Sustainability Fund money being available to Earth Heritage is a twice-yearly magazine produced for the help with the conservation, management and geological and landscape conservation community by the promotion of geological features exposed by • Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Ea h aggregate extraction is exciting. It provides ~entage English Nature, Scottish Natural Heritage and the Countryside Council for Wales. very good news for Regionally Important The UKRIGS Geoconservation Association is a principal contributing partner. We would Geological/geomo;:phological Sites (RIGS) like to thank all those who have assisted with the preparation of the magazine. However, which are specifically mentioned in the the opinions expressed by the contributors are not necessarily those of the above consultation document. There is always the organisations. Key articles from this and previous issues of Earth Heritage can be found danger that other interests will use the on the Web at: www.seaburysalmon.com/earth.html consultation process to divert the geological Offers of articles should be directed to the relevant members of the funding elsewhere, but with welcoming editorial board, who are: responses from the geological community, it Managing Editor should be possible to secure this new funding STEWART CAMPBELL, Countryside MICK STANLEY, Geodiversity stream. Council for Wales, Maes-y-Ffynnon, Consulting, Park House, 8 King Ffordd Penrhos, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 Street, Ripon, North Yorkshire HG4 There is still a way to go before we actually 2DN. Telephone 01248 385693, e-mail: 1PJ. Telephone 01765 609479, know if a grant scheme will exist, and how it [email protected] e-mail: [email protected] will work. However, the opportunity to use CYNTHIA BUREK, Editors these funds to develop sites and create UKRIGS Geoconservation Association, DAVID EVANS, English Nature, Environment Research Group, Chester scientific and educational resources is a real Northminster House, Peterborough PE1 College, Parkgate Road, Chester CH1 chance to raise local awareness of geology 1UA. Telephone 01733 455207, e-mail: 4BJ. Telephone 01244 375444, and the need for its conservation. [email protected] e-mail: [email protected] COLlN MACFADYEN, Scottish Natural Heritage, 2 Anderson Production In the immediate future, the priority in Place, Edinburgh EH6 5NP Seabury Salmon, Seabury Salmon & England is to respond to the consultation Telephone 0131 4474784 ext 2516, Associates, Beechwood, Poyner Road, document and to start coming up with Ludlow, Shropshire SY8 101. Telephone e-mail: [email protected] geological projects related to aggregate 01584877442. Fax 01584 875416. NEIL ELLlS, extraction sites, past and present. In Wales Joint Nature Conservation Committee, e-mail: [email protected] and Scotland, proposals for spending the Monkstone House, Circulation Sustainability Fund are not yet forthcoming. City Road, Peterborough PE1 1JY. Earth Heritage is free, Contact your Telephone 01733 562626, local Editor to be placed on the e-mail: [email protected] - Colin Prosser, mailing list. English Nature 3 Going digital The British Geological Survey is digitising all its I:50,000 and I: I0,000 scale geological maps with a view to making information available over the Intemet. The BGS believes that house buyers, solicitors and surveyors will be interested in accessing a database on possible 'geohazards' that may lurk underneath property. It identifies a variety of these hazards: unstable ground resulting from swelling and shrinking clays, landslip and subsidence caused by soft sediments or underground caverns, and radon emissions. For technical information on the geohazard services, contact lan Jackson at the BGS, tel 0115 936 3214 or e-mail: Crocodile discovery [email protected] Some 75 colleagues. students and friends Landlocked villagers of the late Professor Dennis Stephenson Fossil experts at Cambridge University's • In Alice Walker's article When the Wood gathered at Rhoscolyn Head on 17 Sedgwick Museum have excavated a Jurassic Earth moves in Earth Heritage 16, the November to dedicate a plaque to his crocodile on a site being cleared for a fish picture of an Indian house destroyed by celebrate sea view memory. It was one of the sites of farm. The crocodile, thought to be around an earthquake should have been credited 150 million years old, was discovered by Dennis's research into the ancient rocks Parishioners of Bramerton village (just to the to Andy Thompson from Arup
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