Annual Report and Accounts 2008-09
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www.snh.org.uk Scottish Natural Heritage Annual Report and Accounts 2008-09 69796 Annual Cover.indd 1 22/09/2009 12:40 69796 Annual Cover.indd 2 22/09/2009 12:40 Contents 2 Chairman’s Preface 3 Our Aim, Operating Principle 4 Chief Executive’s Report 13 Performance on Scottish Government Key Targets 17 Site Designations 18 Grants 19 Natural Care (Management Agreements) 19 Nature Conservation Orders 20 Environmental Management Programme 21 Customer Care Standards 22 Communications 23 Management Team 25 Board 28 Local Advisers 30 Structure 31 SNH Offices 34 Annual Accounts www.snh.org.uk 1 69796 Annual Text.indd 1 10/09/2009 12:11 In my preface to our annual report last year I noted that 2007-08 had been Preface a year of fundamental strategic change for SNH. Many were surprised to learn that the organisation had refocused its efforts on to supporting the Andrew Thin, Chairman Scottish economy, responding to climate change, and delivering health Scottish Natural Heritage and well-being, in addition to the self-evident core business of caring for nature in its own right. One year on and some of this is beginning to look almost prescient. The worst recession in a generation has brought the economy to centre stage. Recent evidence of faster than predicted global warming has given renewed urgency to the challenge of climate change. Even the issue of healthy lifestyles has risen up the agenda as we worry about ever- worsening statistics on obesity among our children. It is encouraging therefore to report a year of achievement against all of these priorities. Substantial progress, for example, with improving visitor facilities at all major National Nature Reserves, huge efforts to assist Scotland’s renewable energy industry with getting new developments up and running in several key locations, and support for local authorities across the country in getting core path networks identified and into use. None of this has been easy. Change can be both exciting and challenging. It brings with it both opportunities and threats. The fact that our employees and our stakeholders have embraced strategic change with such enthusiasm is immensely encouraging. It is also just as well – the context within which we work shows no signs of standing still. 2 Annual report and accounts 2008-2009 69796 Annual Text.indd 2 10/09/2009 12:11 Our Aim Scotland’s Natural Heritage is a local, national and global asset. We promote its care and improvement, its responsible enjoyment, its greater understanding and appreciation, and its sustainable use, now and for future generations. Operating Principles We work in partnership, by co-operation, negotiation and consensus where possible with all relevant interests in Scotland: public, private and voluntary organisations and individuals. We operate in a devolved manner, delegating decision making to the local level within the organisation to encourage and assist SNH to be accessible, sensitive and responsible to local needs and circumstances. We operate in an open and accountable manner in all our activities. In 2008-09 we delivered against nine Key Targets agreed with the Scottish Government. Key Target Status Biodiversity Achieved Site Condition Missed Natura Achieved Access to the Countryside Achieved Landscape Achieved Economic Achieved Marine Achieved Scottish Rural Development Programme Achieved Efficient Government Achieved A summary of our key achievements is detailed on pages 13–16. www.snh.org.uk 3 69796 Annual Text.indd 3 10/09/2009 12:11 Chief Executive’s Report The year 2008-09 was a significant one for SNH because our work was guided by a new corporate strategy and plan. This placed people, alongside nature, at the heart of our delivery. People are a vital part of the equation, for it is the people of Scotland who are our customers. It is also people who are pivotal in the realisation of Scotland’s 12th National Outcome: “We value and enjoy our built and natural heritage and protect and enhance it for future generations”, this being one of the 15 priorities set by the Scottish Government. The Government has made it clear that SNH plays a critical role in delivering this Outcome. We also contribute to many of the 14 other National Outcomes. We strongly believe that Scotland’s natural heritage is a primary building block to achieving these Outcomes and the Government’s core purpose, which is “to focus Government and public services on creating a more successful country, with opportunities for all of Scotland to flourish, through increasing sustainable economic growth”. The Annual Report of any successful organisation must do more than report on the year, more than just report on what has been delivered and at what cost. It must show that the organisation is relevant and of value. Relevance to the National Outcomes is paramount for us, and this report is structured around how our five Corporate Strategy Priorities deliver this. Although these are priorities for SNH, they are clearly also priorities for Scotland. For each of them, we show how the outcomes we are seeking to achieve relate to those of the National Performance Framework. Some of our key achievements (expanded upon in the following sections) are as follows: – we have continued to extend the protection given to habitats and species in Scotland, and have played a key role in delivering the Scottish Rural Development Programme; – our Species Action Framework has helped to deliver tangible action for key species of particular conservation concern, including work on wild cat, a beaver trial and sea eagle re-introductions on the east coast; – we have promoted awareness of the Scottish Outdoor Access Code and encouraged countryside recreation, which has helped to raise the percentage of Scottish adults making at least one recreational visit to the outdoors per week to 47%; – in a year when the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change warned that evidence of a warming of the global climate was unequivocal, we have increased the pace of our work on climate change, seeking to find ways in which habitats and species can be helped to survive or adapt to altered weather patterns; – we have published a new report setting out compelling evidence of the economic value of the natural heritage; – we have taken action to align our contribution to the development planning system so it is as constructive and strategic as possible, so that our advice is as timely and helpful as possible to support sustainable economic development; and – finally we have sought to deliver our work in a way that offers as much value as possible to the public purse. As a result we contributed over £8m to the Efficient Government Programme, which, as well as disposing of redundant accommodation, also secured £2.19m of recurring efficiencies that will ensure we continue to provide improved services at lower costs in the years ahead. 4 Annual report and accounts 2008-2009 69796 Annual Text.indd 4 10/09/2009 12:11 Priority 1: Caring for nature This priority contributes to The outcomes we are seeking to achieve: the following – rich and diverse wildlife habitats on land and at sea, with management that maintains healthy ecosystems; National – losses in biodiversity halted by 2010 and a robust process of recovery Performance set in train; – special conservation areas that are well managed, with at least 95% of Outcomes features in favourable or recovering condition by 2010; – greater understanding and appreciation of nature and closer involvement We value and enjoy our built and care by people in managing the nature around them; and and natural environment and – more opportunities for young people to learn about the natural world and the protect it and enhance it for future need for sustainable lifestyles. generations. Our young people are successful What we have delivered learners, confident individuals, effective contributors and Although national biodiversity indicators show that there are continuing responsible citizens. pressures on natural habitats and ecosystems we have made good progress in alleviating some of those pressures. We are a partner in the Joint Wild We take pride in a strong, fair and inclusive national identity. Deer Strategy (launched at the end of 2008), which is providing an important tool to improve deer management across Scotland. We played a major role We reduce the local and global in supporting both the development and implementation of the Scottish Rural environmental impact of our Development Programme, within which Rural Development Contracts helped consumption and production. to underpin sympathetic management both on protected sites and in the wider countryside. We contributed to the preparations for new legislation on marine management and the establishment of Marine Scotland, meeting all the requirements of Government, including producing guidelines on the selection criteria for Marine Protected Areas. A further European Natura site at Garron Point was designated by Government following advice and consultation with staff, with good progress on two extensions and three new sites. Although we have seen some improvement in the status of certain Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) priority species and habitats in Scotland, the 2008 UKBAP reporting round has shown that there continues to be a decline in the status of others. We have played a key role in the implementation of the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy through a series of Ecosystem Groups. We have carried out projects on 32 targeted species through the Species Action Framework, including work on wild cat, a beaver trial and sea eagle re-introductions on the east coast. We have also met with considerable success in our attempts to control introduced predators in the Western Isles to protect ground-nesting birds: North Uist is now virtually clear of hedgehogs, and 800 mink have now been trapped in the Western Isles.