cover.qxp 1/11/06 12:52 pm Page 1 The Greensand Trust The Forest Office, Maulden Wood Haynes West End, Bedfordshire MK45 3QT Tel: 01234 743666 Fax: 01234 743699 email: [email protected] The Natural Environment www.greensandtrust.org Indicators of sustainable development in Bedfordshire - July 2006 A report prepared by Sue Raven of the Greensand Trust for Bedfordshire County Council Registered in England 3702419 Registered Charity 1077055 Contents Introduction Summary A. River and canal water quality Indicator 1 Percentage of length of rivers and canals of good quality Indicator 2 Percentage of length of rivers and canals of high nutrient status Indicator 3 Distribution of otters B. Condition of important wildlife and geological sites Indicator 4 Area of Sites of Special Scientific Interest and % in favourable condition Indicator 5 Area of County Wildlife Sites, % monitored and % in favourable condition C. Condition of the wider countryside Indicator 6 Area of land under Stewardship agreements Indicator 7 Area of organic holdings Indicator 8 Area of woodland within Woodland Grant Scheme Indicator 9 Populations of wild birds D. Access to the countryside Indicator 10 Area of publicly accessible land managed for nature conservation per 1000 people Acknowledgements Appendices Appendix 1.1 Environment Agency General Quality Assurance Scheme Appendix 1.2 Environment Agency guidelines for the use of EA data Appendix 2.1 Condition data for Bedfordshire SSSIs Appendix 2.2 Condition data for Bedfordshire CWSs Appendix 3 Sites managed for nature conservation with public access in Bedfordshire Introduction In 2001 the Greensand Trust was commissioned to investigate and develop a set of indicators which would give a broad picture of the health of the natural environment of Bedfordshire. Baseline data for an initial set of indicators was produced in 2003. These indicators were updated and added to in 2005, and the current report forms the latest update to this work. With this third update, trends are now beginning to become apparent. The indicators are considered in four main sections; the water quality of rivers and canals, the condition of the county’s most important wildlife and geological sites, the condition of the wider countryside and the accessibility of land of wildlife value to the county’s residents. Since the last report, the UK Government has brought out ‘Securing the future – the UK government sustainable development strategy’. This revises its 1999 strategy and the set of indicators which accompanied it. There is now a set of 68 national indicators, 20 of which are Framework Indicators designed to give an overall indication of the health of the environment and reported on regionally as well as nationally. The Bedfordshire indicators include two of these Framework Indicators, water quality and wild bird populations. The remainder are local to the county although several are reported on nationally and regionally by other organisations. Summary River and canal water quality The biological and chemical water quality of rivers and canals in Bedfordshire rose considerably during the period 1990 – 2000 due to improvements in the treatment of sewage discharges. It has since remained relatively stable and in 2004 the percentages of length of good quality stood at 70% and 57% respectively – broadly similar to that seen over England as a whole. Quality can be poorer in some of the county’s smaller rivers as they have less capacity to dilute pollution. Of concern however, due to the problems of eutrophication, is the fact that the high levels of nutrients in the county’s running waters have not decreased over the same period. In 2004, 80% of the length of rivers and canals had high nitrate levels and 94% had high phosphate levels - percentages higher than those found regionally or nationally. Monitoring during 2004/05 showed that the county’s otters are maintaining the increase in their distribution seen over the previous ten year period – indicative of the fact that the county’s waterways now provide suitable habitat for this species once again. Condition of important wildlife and geological sites The area of the county designated as Site of Special Scientific Interest remains the same at 1411ha (40 sites), and the gradual increase in the proportion of SSSI area in favourable condition seen over recent years has continued so that in 2005 it had reached 86%, compared to 78% in 2001. This is a higher proportion than that seen regionally or nationally. If this rate of improvement can be continued it is possible that Bedfordshire may reach the Government’s PSA target of 95% of SSSIs in favourable condition by 2010. Improvements recorded over the last year were most marked for chalk grassland habitats however there is cause for concern for bog, heathland, acid grassland, fen/marsh/swamp and neutral grassland – of which a low proportion are currently in favourable condition. The area of land designated as County Wildlife Site remained stable at 7161ha (excluding SSSI land), with the loss of one site, new designation of another, and slight boundary modifications over the past year. The programme of monitoring the condition of these sites continued - by 2005, 32% of sites (24% by area) had been monitored since 2002. Of the CWS area now monitored, 58% was found to be in favourable condition. Concerns over the condition of the county’s heathland, neutral grassland and acid grassland are again highlighted by this work. Condition of the wider countryside The introduction of new agri-environment and woodland grant schemes over the past year has meant that data has not been available to report on the area of land under these schemes in the county. It is hoped to report on them again next year. The number and area of organic holdings in the county has dropped considerably over the past year – the current 579ha of land (within 8 holdings) that is being farmed organically is 25% lower than that in 2001 and represents only 0.65% by area of the county’s agricultural land – a lower percentage than that found regionally and nationally. During the period 1970 – 2004 bird populations in the East of England region, representative of the changes seen in Bedfordshire, were found to have dropped considerably; 21% for all species, 44% for farmland birds and 20% for woodland birds. The worst of these declines occurred in the period up to the early/mid 1990s; from 1994 to 2004 populations did not change significantly, suggesting that hopefully the worst of the decline has halted. No significant recovery is yet apparent however. The Government has a PSA target to reverse the declines in farmland and woodland birds by 2020. Access to the countryside By April 2006 the area of land in Bedfordshire managed for nature conservation and accessible to the public for them to visit and enjoy, stood at 7.05ha per 1000 people – or 2.3% of the area of the county. This area has risen by approximately 17% since 2002 – due predominantly to more land coming into conservation management and the take up of grant packages encouraging permissive public access on to private land. Indicator Who else uses? Bedfordshire Regional/national comparisons trends Percentage of rivers and canals of good water quality UK Government Great improvements 1990 – Biological quality similar to In 2004, 70% of rivers and canals had good biological water quality, 57% had good Framework 2000, relatively stable since national figures but lower than chemical water quality Indicator regional. Chemical quality higher than regional figures but lower than national Percentage of rivers and canals of high nutrient status - No real improvement over Higher levels of nutrients than In 2004, 80% of rivers and canals had high nitrate levels, 94% had high phosphate last 15 years those seen regionally and levels nationally Distribution of otters - Recovery appears to be Similar recovery being seen No new full survey since last report but developing monitoring scheme May 04-Oct continuing regionally and nationally 05 starting to produce data on frequency of usage Area of SSSIs and % in favourable condition - No change in area; area in A higher % in favourable condition In 2005, 1411ha of land was designated as SSSI, 86% of this was in favourable favourable condition than regionally or nationally but a condition increased by 8% since 2001 smaller % of the county’s area is designated as SSSI Area of CWSs, % monitored and % in favourable condition - No net change in number of No equivalent data In 2005, 7161ha of land was designated as CWS; 24% of this, by area, had been sites or area; one quarter of monitored, 58% of which was in favourable condition. Work is now underway to CWS area monitored since develop a suite of sites of equivalent geological interest, RIGS. start of monitoring programme in 2002. Area of land under Stewardship agreements UK Government Land under CSS increased In 2003, % of county area under Data unavailable at present due to launch of new scheme Core Indicator steadily 1991 – 2004 Stewardship was similar to that regionally but lower than national figures Area of organic holdings Area of holdings dropped by % of county area farmed In 2005, 579ha of land farmed organically (8 holdings); 0.65% of the county’s area - 25% since 2001 organically is lower than both regional and national figures Area of woodland under Woodland Grant Scheme - No clear trends as Unknown Data unavailable at present due to launch of new scheme information not available Populations of wild birds UK Government Regionally - decline in Nationally - farmland and Survey data too sparse to calculate county indicator for 2004; regional figures are Framework woodland and farmland woodland birds relatively stable felt to be represent of the situation in Bedfordshire Indicator (slightly birds is levelling off but no now but populations approx 40% different measure) significant recovery yet.