Alexander Hamilton
By email: [FOI #13903 email]
27th July 2009
Our ref: A270731
Dear Mr Hamilton,
Thank you for your request for information about the survey of the release site for the beaver
reintroduction project. Your request has been considered under the Environmental Information
(Scotland) Regulations 2004.
Pre-release monitoring of certain biological interests has been undertaken. This has not
involved a total audit, but has concentrated more on the monitoring of certain habitats and
species of particular conservation interest (other issues are also being monitored e.g. public
health, socio-economics, water chemistry etc - although not all of them will be led by SNH -
however SNH will arrange for the reports of these projects to also be made publicly available).
The Scottish Beaver Trial began in 2008/09 (the pre-release year) and the monitoring
undertaken for that year, and for future years, will be published at this SNH website:
http://www.snh.org.uk/scottishbeavertrial/default.asp
At the moment the pre-release monitoring reports are still in draft form but they will start to be
published over the months ahead once they've gone through quality assessment procedures.
All of the monitoring reports will eventually be made publicly available on this website.
The measures that the project must take to manage the site for the benefit of both the beavers
and natural heritage are set out in advice SNH gave to the Scottish Government regarding an
appraisal of the Scottish Beaver Trial proposal on designated site interests. Please find
attached the appraisal report and a supplementary document containing specific advice on
protected habitats and species. You will notice some parts of the appraisal report have been
blanked out. This is because we wish to protect the breeding sites of black-throated diver.
This rare species is protected by international legislation and is extremely vulnerable to egg
collecting. We therefore have removed any information that identifies their breeding sites
under regulation 10(5)(g) of the above regulations. You can read this regulation via this link:
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/legislation/scotland/ssi2004/20040520.htm#10
The licence conditions issued by the Scottish Government to the SWT/RZSS also outline the
measure that must be taken. These conditions are available on the Project website:
http://www.scottishbeavers.org.uk/docs/files/general/BeaverLicenceConditions.pdf
SNH advised that, for some designated site features, certain measures should be put in place
and the Scottish Government licence conditions issued to SWT/RZSS take this advice into
account.
Scottish Natural Heritage, Great Glen House, Leachkin Road, Inverness IV3 8NW, Scotland
Tel 01463 725000 Fax 01463 725067 www.snh.org.uk
If you are dissatisfied with how we have responded to your information request, please write
to us at Battleby, Redgorton, Perth, PH1 3EW or email us at [SNH request email], explaining your
concerns. Our Director of Strategy and Communications, John Thomson or his nominated
delegate will carry out a review of our response and provide an outcome within 20 working
days.
If you are not satisfied following this, you can make an appeal to the Scottish Information
Commissioner. The Scottish Information Commissioner can be contacted at:
Scottish Information Commissioner
Kinburn Castle
Doubledykes Road
St Andrews
Fife
KY16 9DS
Telephone: 01334 464610
http://www.itspublicknowledge.info/
Yours sincerely
Jennifer Ryles
Information Officer
