Scottish Natural Heritage
Encyclopedia
Scottish Natural Heritage is a Scottish public body
. It is responsible for Scotland
's natural heritage, especially its natural
, genetic
and scenic diversity. It advises the Scottish Government and acts as a government agent in the delivery of conservation designation
s, i.e. National Nature Reserve
s, Local Nature Reserve
s, Long Distance Routes
, National Parks
, Sites of Special Scientific Interest
(SSSIs), Special Areas of Conservation
, Special Protection Area
s and the National Scenic Area
.
SNH is also a member of SEARS (Scotland's Environmental and Rural Services).
SNH has around 800 staff with offices in most parts of Scotland including the main islands. Scottish Ministers decided to transfer SNH's headquarters from Edinburgh to Inverness in 2003/04, many staff left at this point as they did not wish to transfer location. The protected area
s in Scotland account for 20% of the total area, SSSIs alone 13%.
On 1 August 2010, the functions of the Deer Commission for Scotland
were transferred to SNH by section 1 of the Public Services (Reform) (Scotland) Act 2010 and the Commission was dissolved.
Scottish public bodies
Public bodies of the Scottish Government are organisations that are funded by the Scottish Government. It includes executive and advisory non-departmental public bodies ; tribunals; and nationalised industries....
. It is responsible for Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
's natural heritage, especially its natural
Nature
Nature, in the broadest sense, is equivalent to the natural world, physical world, or material world. "Nature" refers to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general...
, genetic
Genetics
Genetics , a discipline of biology, is the science of genes, heredity, and variation in living organisms....
and scenic diversity. It advises the Scottish Government and acts as a government agent in the delivery of conservation designation
Conservation designation
A conservation designation is a name and/or acronym which explains the status of an area of land in terms of conservation or protection.-United Kingdom:*Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty *Environmentally Sensitive Area*Local Nature Reserve...
s, i.e. National Nature Reserve
National Nature Reserve
For details of National nature reserves in the United Kingdom see:*National Nature Reserves in England*National Nature Reserves in Northern Ireland*National Nature Reserves in Scotland*National Nature Reserves in Wales...
s, Local Nature Reserve
Local Nature Reserve
Local nature reserve or LNR is a designation for nature reserves in the United Kingdom. The designation has its origin in the recommendations of the Wild Life Conservation Special Committee which established the framework for nature conservation in the United Kingdom and suggested a national suite...
s, Long Distance Routes
Long Distance Routes
Long Distance Route is an official term for maintained long-distance footpaths in Scotland that require several days to walk...
, National Parks
National parks of Scotland
National parks of Scotland are managed areas of outstanding landscape where habitation and commercial activities are restricted. At present, Scotland has two national parks: Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park, created in 2002, and the Cairngorms National Park, created in 2003...
, Sites of Special Scientific Interest
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
(SSSIs), Special Areas of Conservation
Special Area of Conservation
A Special Area of Conservation is defined in the European Union's Habitats Directive , also known as the Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora...
, Special Protection Area
Special Protection Area
A Special Protection Area or SPA is a designation under the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds.Under the Directive, Member States of the European Union have a duty to safeguard the habitats of migratory birds and certain particularly threatened birds.Together with Special...
s and the National Scenic Area
National Scenic Area (Scotland)
National Scenic Area is a conservation designation used in Scotland, and currently administered by Scottish Natural Heritage. NSAs are defined as having outstanding scenic interest or unsurpassed attractiveness.-Overview:...
.
SNH is also a member of SEARS (Scotland's Environmental and Rural Services).
SNH has around 800 staff with offices in most parts of Scotland including the main islands. Scottish Ministers decided to transfer SNH's headquarters from Edinburgh to Inverness in 2003/04, many staff left at this point as they did not wish to transfer location. The protected area
Protected area
Protected areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognised natural, ecological and/or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the enabling laws of each country or the regulations of the international...
s in Scotland account for 20% of the total area, SSSIs alone 13%.
On 1 August 2010, the functions of the Deer Commission for Scotland
Deer Commission for Scotland
The Deer Commission for Scotland was an executive non-departmental body of the Scottish Government. It was responsible for the conservation, control and sustainable management of all species of wild deer in Scotland. It also acted as the Government's advisor on deer related matters.The Commission...
were transferred to SNH by section 1 of the Public Services (Reform) (Scotland) Act 2010 and the Commission was dissolved.
See also
- National Nature Reserves in ScotlandNational Nature Reserves in ScotlandNational Nature Reserves in Scotland are established by Scottish Natural Heritage. Until 2004 there were 73 National Nature Reserves in Scotland, as per the list below...
- Scottish Publishers AssociationScottish Publishers AssociationThe Scottish Publishers Association , established in 1973 as the Scottish General Publishers Association with the support of the Scottish Arts Council, was the trade association of nearly 80 publishing companies in Scotland...
- Natural EnglandNatural EnglandNatural England is the non-departmental public body of the UK government responsible for ensuring that England's natural environment, including its land, flora and fauna, freshwater and marine environments, geology and soils, are protected and improved...
- Countryside Council for WalesCountryside Council for WalesThe Countryside Council for Wales is an Assembly Government Sponsored Body. It is the Welsh Assembly Government's wildlife conservation authority for Wales...
- Environment and Heritage ServiceEnvironment and Heritage ServiceThe Northern Ireland Environment Agency is a Northern Ireland Executive conservation agency within the Department of the Environment. Unlike the equivalent bodies in England, Scotland and Wales, it aims to promote and conserve both the natural environment and the built environment and to promote...
(Northern Ireland) - Scottish Environment Protection AgencyScottish Environment Protection AgencyThe Scottish Environment Protection Agency is Scotland’s environmental regulator. Its main role is to protect and improve Scotland's environment...