Evaluation and Cost-Benefit Analysis of Red Squirrels United (RSU) Final Report Contents Executive Summary .......................................................................................................... 2 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................... 4 Red Squirrels United ......................................................................................................... 4 Delivery model and structure ........................................................................................... 4 Project Evaluation: Rationale and Methodology ............................................................... 6 2. Area Profiles .............................................................................................................. 8 Northern Ireland .............................................................................................................. 8 Kielder, Uswayford and Kidland Forests .......................................................................... 13 North Merseyside ........................................................................................................... 15 Anglesey and Gwynedd .................................................................................................. 17 Clocaenog Forest ............................................................................................................ 21 Tywi Forest ..................................................................................................................... 21 3. Cost-Benefit analysis ................................................................................................ 24 Programme expenditure ................................................................................................. 24 Tourism benefits ............................................................................................................ 24 Volunteer impacts .......................................................................................................... 30 Ecological impacts .......................................................................................................... 32 Existence Value of Red Squirrels ..................................................................................... 33 Total benefits and overall value for money ..................................................................... 36 4. Conclusions and Reflections ..................................................................................... 37 Headline economic impacts ............................................................................................ 37 Dissemination and key messages .................................................................................... 37 Management and delivery .............................................................................................. 38 Data collection and analysis ............................................................................................ 38 Red Squirrels United: Cost-benefit analysis – ERS January 2020 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY E.1 ERS was commissioned by The Wildlife Trusts in June 2019 to undertake a cost-benefit analysis of Red Squirrels United (RSU). This £2.98m project, funded by EU LIFE and The National Lottery Heritage Fund, aimed to conserve red squirrel populations in nine key locations across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. E.2 The project ran from 2016 to 2020 and was delivered by a partnership of eight organisations managed by The Wildlife Trusts. Partners monitored red squirrels in key areas, controlled grey squirrel populations, established new eradication zones and maintained existing grey squirrel-free habitats. RSU also engaged local communities in conservation activity, through volunteering groups and broader community outreach and education. E.3 ERS was commissioned to conduct a cost-benefit analysis of RSU. In order to do so, various socioeconomic and ecological impacts were considered and quantified in monetary values, then combined to produce a final figure to compare against project costs. E.4 Following an extensive review of project documentation and data, ERS conducted site visits to Belfast, North Merseyside, Cumbria, Anglesey, Gwynedd and the Tywi Forest in Mid-Wales. Consultations were held in each location with project staff, volunteers, landowners and various other local stakeholders. The aim was to understand the costs and impacts of the project in each local context, taking into account factors unique to each area. E.5 The benefit-cost ratio considers three benefits of RSU across multiple project areas, which can be quantified as economic values: ▪ The benefits to tourism of increased red squirrel presence; ▪ The damage to timber prevented by controlling grey squirrel populations; and ▪ The equivalence value of the volunteering effort over the lifetime of the programme. E.6 In addition, the evaluation explores the ‘willingness-to-pay’ methodology, which aims to provide a monetary figure for the inherent value of the red squirrel; however, these figures are omitted from the final benefit-cost ratio due to a lack of robust data, and suggested primarily as a future area for research. E.7 The cost-benefit analysis demonstrated that RSU has had a significant impact on the UK economy, adding millions of pounds of value and creating a considerable number of jobs. The most notable effect is the additional visitor spending in key tourist sites within RSU localities, created and safeguarded by RSU’s conservation work. The headline economic impact figures are as follows: ▪ Total benefits estimated at £11.5 million over the lifetime of the programme, supporting 175.5 FTE jobs. ▪ An estimated 189,000 additional visitors within RSU localities attributed to presence of red squirrels and programme activity, generating £10.3 million in additional visitor spending and directly supporting 165.5 FTE jobs. Red Squirrels United: Cost-benefit analysis – ERS January 2020 2 ▪ Over 44,000 volunteer hours contributed over the programme, with an equivalence value of £865,000. ▪ An estimated £283,000 of ecological benefits arising from potential savings to the UK timber sector as a result of reduced bark stripping, supporting 10.0 FTE jobs. ▪ An estimated red squirrel existence value of £3.2 million across RSU catchment sites following Willingness-to-Pay (WTP) Analysis. ▪ Benefit-cost ratio of 4.53:1 translating to £4.53 of benefits for each £1 of public investment. Red Squirrels United: Cost-benefit analysis – ERS January 2020 3 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 In June 2019, ERS was commissioned by The Wildlife Trusts to undertake an ex post cost-benefit analysis of Red Squirrels United (RSU), a £2.98m project funded by EU LIFE and The National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) to conserve red squirrel populations across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Red Squirrels United 1.2 RSU was a four-year project, running from 2016 to 2020 and delivered by a partnership of eight organisations managed by The Wildlife Trusts. The total project cost was £2,980,597 which supported partners in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland to conserve native red squirrel populations. 1.3 The project sought to counteract the endangerment of UK native Eurasian red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) caused by the introduction of the invasive non-native Eastern grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) in the nineteenth century. RSU supported partners to monitor red squirrels in key areas, control grey squirrels, establish new eradication zones and maintain existing grey squirrel-free habitats. 1.4 RSU had a significant focus on engaging local communities in conservation activity. This was intended to increase public engagement with the issues facing red squirrels and ensure the project’s legacy after it came to an end. Project locations 1.5 The project operated in nine principal locations. Wales: ▪ Anglesey and Gwynedd ▪ Clocaenog Forest ▪ Tywi Forest England: ▪ Kielder Forest ▪ North Merseyside (Formby and surrounding areas) Northern Ireland: ▪ Glens Antrim ▪ Mourne Mountains ▪ Fermanagh ▪ North West of Northern Ireland Delivery model and structure 1.6 RSU was a partnership of eight organisations led by The Wildlife Trusts. The other partners were as follows: Red Squirrels United: Cost-benefit analysis – ERS January 2020 4 ▪ Northumberland Wildlife Trust ▪ The Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside ▪ Red Squirrels Trust Wales ▪ The Wildlife Trust for South and West Wales ▪ Ulster Wildlife ▪ Newcastle University ▪ Forest Research 1.7 RSU was the first nationwide network collaborating to tackle threats to red squirrels in the United Kingdom. The project adopted a joined-up approach characterised by the sharing of best practice through shared training, resources, and attendance of annual Knowledge Fairs to which both staff and volunteers were invited. 1.8 Working collaboratively allowed RSU partners to adopt a singular and reinforced approach to all aspects of red squirrel conservation. This was particularly beneficial in two areas that red squirrel organisations have historically had difficulty with: monitoring red squirrel populations accurately, and engaging with the public positively and proactively about red squirrel conservation efforts. 1.9 Leading the project, The Wildlife Trusts employed a Secretariat team consisting of a Programme Manager, a Project Officer, and a part-time Grants Manager to administer and coordinate the partnership effectively. The