St Helena : St Helena Strategic Policy and Planning Unit
Submitted by Saint Helena Herald (Public Relations Information Office) 11.02.2012 (Article Archived on 25.02.2012)
National Conservation Areas (NCAs) is an ‘umbrella term’ adopted by St. Helena to describe a range of sites that represent the very best of St. Helena’s landscapes, plants, animals, landforms and heritage.
Strategic Policy and Planning Unit
9th February 2012
NCAs – An Overview
National Conservation Areas (NCAs) is an ‘umbrella term’ adopted by St. Helena to describe a range of sites that represent the very best of St. Helena’s landscapes, plants, animals, landforms and heritage.
NCAs were part of the LDCP Phase One consultation process and as a result of additional information and consultation by an external consultant, boundaries have been amended.
Ina two part series Dr Nikki Chapman, Manager of the Nature Conservation Division from the Environmental Management Department tells us more about NCAS.
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In the first draft of the LDCP, NCAs were referred to as NPAs. Why is the name changed in the revised draft?
Globally the name for such areas is Nationally Protected Areas (NPAs) however this term can sometimes relay the wrong concept to the public e.g. that they are exclusion zones. However the complete opposite is true, NCAs are to be enjoyed by all for now, and the future, through their safeguarding.
Community involvement in their creation and management is welcomed.
Why is there a need for NCAs?
In a nutshell we need to safeguard the particularly special parts of St. Helena so we can enjoy the environment now and so can future generations, particularly as land development is increasing. Also many of the NCAs provide us with important environmental goods and services that we all depend on like water; fresh unpolluted air; food from agricultural and pastoral land; free recreational activities like camping, walking, cycling, picnicking.
Most of us enjoy St. Helena’s unique landscape views whilst out for walks. Those of us particularly interested in conservation will appreciate the importance of protecting internationally important assets e.g. the Wirebird which is only found here on St. Helena. Furthermore as a Directorate, Environmental Management needs to have a focused conservation effort rather than a scattered approach to conservation sites so everyone knows what an NCA is and what it aims to do.
What is the criteria for determining an NCA?
NCAs have been chosen because they hold the most important and significant features. They contain one or more of the following, most contain more!
• Landscapes
• Cultural heritage – including local resources e.g. Fishing, Roads
• Biodiversity – Plants, Birds & Invertebrates
• Geology
• History and archaeology
• Recreation sites
(Sites may be important on a national or international level or both. Many of the sites also conserve critical environmental and ecological processes, such as the water cycle.)
What areas of the Island are now NCAs?
Many of the 23 NCAs have an existing management plan or conservation activities are being undertaken, including;
· Deadwood, Prosperous Bay Plain and Man & Horse - Wirebird monitoring and predator control programme
· Millennium Forest – community participation in the re-creation of the former Great Wood lowland gumwood forest.
· Sandy Bay National Park - Blue Point – alien plant control and restoration of native scrub and cliff communities Seabird monitoring and Seed collecting programme –
· Diana’s Peak National Park – enhancing and restoring largest area of native cloud forest
· High Hill – managed re-introduction site for bastard gumwood, post box walk
· Heart Shaped Waterfall – managed walkway and reintroduction site for the bastard gumwood
· High Knoll - Conservation Management Plan and road to restoration appeal, site management by SHNT
· Lemon Valley – Conservation Management Plan. Post box walk and path maintenance, alien plant control, access improvement
During Phase I of the consultation, what were people’s general reactions to NCAs?
I understand that during Phase I the NCAs had a low profile as the focus was mainly on the LDCP which may reflect the limited reaction. However some feedback, mainly on specific sites such as Horse Pasture was received. I am hoping that during this Phase II, clarity on NCAs, progress and the next steps will elicit feedback. There will be a final NCA consultation phase (development of the NCA Management Plans) so there will be lots of opportunity now and in the future to provide feedback.
Feedback received was mainly addressed through revisiting the evidence base of some of the NCA sites and as a result some proposed NCA sites have been excluded e.g. Horse Pasture and the boundaries of other sites have been revisited.
Next week: How NCAs will impact the public
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