Protected area categories and the National Trust

Simon PryorNatural Environment Director

Outline• National Trust’s purpose and assets• What types of land and habitats do we protect?• Categories of protected areas on the NT estate• ‘Inalienability’• Some questions about categories• Applying Protected Area concept strategically• Thinking ‘Beyond our boundaries’

The National Trust

• Established by statute over 100 years ago

• England, Wales and N Ireland

• 100m visits, 4m members, 55,000 volunteers

• Core purpose: “To protect places of historic interest and natural beauty, permanently and for the benefit of the nation”

Habitats important for the Trust

255,000 ha of land710 miles of coastlineAround 80% is farmed 60% is tenantedThe large majority is ‘inalienable’Whole landscapes & catchments

Areas we protect for the nation

National Trust land and National Parks

49% of NT land is in a National Park7.6% of land in NPAs is owned by National Trust

97,000 ha of SSSI (7%)74,900 ha of SACs (5%)36,500 ha of SPAs (4%)11,800 ha of NNRs (9%)14,500 ha Ramsar sites (3%)

SSSIs on NT estate(% of national total area)

NT Ownership and protection in Dovedale

Inalienable land

Once declared ‘inalienable’ the property (land or building) cannot be sold, given away or mortgagedNor compulsorily purchased against the Trust’s wishes without special permission from ParliamentBut can be leased, altered and even built on

Only declared ‘after sober reflection’Cannot be reversed or adjusted‘Inalienable’ not defined in the legislationNot used ‘tactically’ to protect areas under threat

Presumption that most land acquired will be declared. Providing it is of ‘inalienable quality’Current exercise to produce a definitive digital map

Questions re protected areas on the NT estate

1. Do some of our sites qualify as Category 1a?

2. Should some of the larger scale properties, and Heritage Coast, qualify as Category II ‘National Parks’?

3. Should veteran trees be treated as Category III ‘Natural Monuments’?

4. What proportion of NT land qualifies as Category IV v. Category V?

5. Should managed ancient or semi-natural woodlands qualify as Category IV?

Some ‘strategic thoughts’ on protected areas

• Does all tenanted farmland qualify?• What do the different types of designation add?• Risk based protection and the red tape challenge• Protection through public concern (forests and NPPF)

• Other categorisations of countryside sites

A different categorisation of sites for nature:

• Wow!

• Fascinating

• Lovely

• Important

Thinking ‘Beyond our boundaries’

• What should our acquisition policy be?– Should we take on publicly owned land

that is in jeopardy?

– Should we not take on sites with legal protection?

• Should we be making more of the Trust’s inalienable land protection?

• Can we help others protect other special sites or concentrate on the ones we own?

Summary

• National Trust’s particular role in protecting whole landscapes

• Categorisation and bench marking of the protection we provide is useful - but not straightforward

• Can we make more use of the ‘inalienability’ tool?

• Working more ‘beyond our boundaries’

• People valuing nature is the highest form of protection