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How Is The SAC managed?

The EU Habitats Directive is transferred into UK law by the Conservation (Natural Habitats, &C.) Regulations 1994 (Often known as the "Habitats Regulations").  These regulations make Relevant Authorities responsible for conservation and management of SACs.  In order to protect and conserve the features the site was designated for, the Relevant Authorities Group for the cSAC is aiming to develop a management scheme.

The Relevant Authorities are part of a wider group of authorities identified by the Regulations known as: Competent Authorities.

It is the duty of the statutory nature conservation agencies (in our case The Countryside Council for Wales, CCW) to identify the conservation features of the site and advise the other Relevant Authorities of the conservation objectives of the site (Regulation 33 of the Habitats Regulations).   The Regulations also require CCW to advise Relevant Authorities of any activities that may damage or disturb the conservation features of the site.  For details of the conservation features see What's Special About The Area.   The management scheme is unlikely to make much difference to most people's daily lives.  The Habitats Directive does not include any intention to exclude human activities (commercial or recreational) from Natura 2000 sites.  The aim is to ensure that those activities are undertaken in ways which do not threaten the features the site is designated for.

Evidence of one particular human activity!

In it's Guide to the Habitats Regulations the DETR, Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions, (now part of DEFRA, the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) advised that "it is essential that owners and occupiers, rightholders, local interests, user groups and conservation groups should be encouraged to participate in the process of developing the scheme".  These people and groups are known as "stakeholders".

How can you get involved?

A Liaison Group is being established in order to allow stakeholders to participate in the process of developing the management scheme.

This Group will also provide communication between the Relevant Authorities, the stakeholders and the Competent Authorities.

For more details of how the Liaison Group works, and how you can get involved click here.