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The Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust (ARC)

The ARC is a wildlife charity which promotes the conservation of herpetofauna (reptiles and amphibians) in the UK. ARC develops and promotes guidance on managing habitats for amphibians and reptiles, such as the Great Crested Newt Conservation Handbook.

The Arboricultural Association (AA)

The AA is a professional membership body for all those working in the arboricultural sector, providing professional standards, training, support and recognition for its members. The AA prides itself in being the leading voice in all arboricultural matters in the UK. They aim to support the sustainable management of trees for, the benefit of Society, through our members and close collaboration with allied professions. They work towards this aim by: inspiring society to understand the value of amenity trees; influencing decision makers to value, secure, fund and promote amenity trees and; improving the understanding of trees and their environment.

The Conservation of Habitats and Species (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019

The Habitat Regulations 2017 are one of the pieces of domestic law that transposed the land and marine aspects of the Habitats Directive (Council Directive 92/43/EEC) and certain elements of the Wild Birds Directive (Directive 2009/147/EC). The regulations were updated in 2019 due to Brexit.

The Habitat Regulations make it an offence (with certain exceptions) to deliberately capture, disturb, kill or trade in those animal species listed in Schedule 2, or to pick, cut, uproot, collect, destroy or trade in those plant species listed in Schedule 4.

The EC Birds Directive requires member states to establish and monitor Special Protection Areas (SPAs) for all rare or vulnerable species included in Annex I, as well as for all regularly occurring migratory species, with key focus on wetlands of international importance. Annex I and II of the Habitats Directive respectively list those habitats and species for which a similar network of sites – Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) – must be established and monitored. Collectively, SPAs and SACs form a network of protected areas which are referred to as ‘National Site Network’ sites.

The Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats 1979 (Bern Convention)

The Bern Convention was adopted in 1979 and ratified by the UK Government in 1982. The principal aims of the Convention are to ensure the conservation and protection of all wild plant and animal species and their natural habitats (listed in Appendices I and II), to increase cooperation between contracting parties, and to afford special protection to the most vulnerable or threatened species (including migratory species).

Members of the European Community meet their obligations via the Birds Directive and the Habitats Directive. These are transposed into UK law by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended), Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004 (as amended), Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985, and the Nature Conservation and Amenity Lands (Northern Ireland) Order 1985.

The Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 (CRoW)

The CRoW, which applies to England and Wales only, strengthens the provisions of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended), both in respect to protected species and statutory ecological sites, the latter primarily relating to the management and protection of SSSIs. It also provides for better management of Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs).

The Act places a statutory obligation on public bodies to further the conservation of biodiversity through the exercise of their functions, thereby providing a statutory basis to the Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) process. Section 74 of the Act lists those habitats and species of principal importance in England.

The Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004

The Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004 places a duty on public bodies to conserve biodiversity, increases protection for SSSIs (including providing for Land Management Orders on SSSIs and associated land), strengthens wildlife enforcement legislation and amends legislation on Nature Conservation Orders. The Act requires Scottish Ministers to designate one or more strategies for the conservation of biodiversity (the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy) and to publish lists of species and habitats of principal importance.

The Protection of Badgers Act 1992

The Protection of Badgers Act 1992 consolidates the existing legislation relating to the protection of badgers and makes it an office in England and Wales to wilfully kill, injure or take a badger (or attempt to do so) and affords protection to both the animals themselves and their setts.

The Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act 2002

This Act provides protection for wild mammals from acts of cruelty, primarily via preventing hunting wild mammals with dogs.

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