Biodiversity projects
We are the lead on the delivery of a number of key biodiversity projects within the region:
Pilot regional land use frameworks
The Scottish Government has completed two land use strategy pilots, one in Scottish Borders and one in Aberdeenshire, involving local authorities to develop a regional land use framework.
A follow on project has been initiated for the Scottish Borders for 2015-16.
Phase one habitat inventory and habitat networks
In partnership with Tweed Forum, we have produced, from aerial imagery, a habitat audit for the whole region and the River Tweed catchment.
This broad habitat inventory identifies our woodland, wetland, grassland, heathland and coastal resource. Additionally a habitat network project has mapped were potential areas of the habitats can be created to connect up areas to enhance biodiversity and the resilience of the habitats of the Borders.
Borders wetland vision
We co-ordinated the borders wetland vision project, which is a strategic approach to wetland conservation in the area and a first for Scotland which received a scottish award for quality in planning in 2006.
Biodiversity offset projects
A number of projects have been developed through the planning process to deliver compensatory habitats in biodiversity offsets to help ensure no net loss of biodiversity through development. This work received a scottish award for quality in planning in 2012.
Projects have included:
- two black grouse projects
- natural flood management in the Gala water catchment
- two projects for blanket bog restoration being managed by us, which we have been working on with LBAP partners and developer