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The Worcestershire Biodiversity Action Plans
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The Biodiversity Action Planning process began a new and exciting period for nature conservation. In June 1992, the Earth Summit was held in Rio de Janeiro. Over 150 countries, including the United Kingdom, signed the Convention on Biological Diversity, the main aim of which is a commitment to conserving and sustaining global biodiversity. In 1994 the UK Government launched the UK Biodiversity Action Plan and established the UK Biodiversity Steering Group, who produced national criteria and objectives for the selection and conservation of a priority list of habitats and species. The report also recommended the production of Local Biodiversity Action Plans.
The first Worcestershire BAP was produced in 1999. The BAP was revised and re-launched in 2008 and now contains Action Plans for nineteen of Worcestershire's key wildlife habitats and twenty five of its species. These have been chosen because of their threatened status or because important national strongholds occur in Worcestershire, or both. In addition three Generic Action Plans are presented for common themes that permeate most aspects of biodiversity conservation in the county.
Each plan gives an overview of the current status of the habitat or species within the county, identifies particular threats to it and current areas of work or activity being undertaken by partner organisations. The plan then presents targets for maintenance, restoration, expansion or creation (as appropriate) for the conservation of that habitat or species, followed by a list of proposed actions that the Biodiversity Partnership should take. All plans recognise the need for appropriate legislative and policy background, but also the need for increased funding to enable action to be undertaken on the gorund.
Delivery of the UK Biodiversity Action Plan is government policy. Progress towards achieving its targets provide Government with evidence to assess progress against the National Sustainable Development Indicators and to report on the commitment made by the United Nations to significantly reduce the rate of global biodiversity loss by 2010. The national Habitat and Species Action Plans within the UK BAP are not the work of conservation bodies acting in isolation, but have been produced after wide consultation amongst all relevant organisations. In the same way, the Worcestershire Biodiversity Action Plans have been produced through the involvement, discussion, consultation and agreement with and between local authorities, statutory agencies, voluntary bodies, farming and land-owning interests, business and industry.
The UK approach to conserving biodiversity depends on partnership; involving statutory, voluntary, academic and business sectors, nationally and locally, in delivering biodiversity enhancement, for its own intrinsic value, for the vital life-support services it provides, and because it enriches people’s lives.
Conserving Biodiversity – The UK Approach, UK Biodiversity Partnership, 2007
The Worcestershire Biodiversity Action Plans are available below to download.Targets and Actions within the plans are also being entered onto the Biodiversity Action Reporting System (BARS), an online database and reporting system developed by Natural England to record biodiversity activity. Please note that updates to Targets and Actions will appear first on BARS, so please check to ensure you are using the most up to date information. BARS is accessible to members of the public and the search facility can be used without registering.
Generic Action Plans
G1 Biological Recording and Information 
(84.51 KB)
G2 Education, Awareness and Involvement (103.12 KB)
G3 Policy, Grants and Legislation (120.95 KB)
