Sunart Oakwoods Initiative area, Ardnamurchan, Morvern

United Kingdom: Ardgour Pinewoods SAC, Ardnamurchan Burns SAC, Beinn Iadain & Beinn na h'Uamha SAC, Claish Moss & Kentra Moss SAC, Loch Moidart & Loch Shiel Woods SAC, Loch Shiel SPA, Morvern Woods SAC, River Moidart SAC, Sound of Arisaig mSAC, Sunart SAC: * * * Winner: Eurosite Award 2005 * * *

Site fact file

Natura 2000 Ambassador for the Natura Network Initiative...		A representative of Scottish Natural Heritage
Brian Eardley

Country	Scotland, UK
Natura 2000 site location	Lochaber, Highland
Nearest urban settlements	Fort William
Natura 2000 site name	Ardgour Pinewoods SAC, Ardnamurchan Burns SAC, Beinn Iadain & Beinn na h'Uamha SAC, Claish Moss & Kentra Moss SAC, Loch Moidart & Loch Shiel Woods SAC, Loch Shiel SPA, Morvern Woods SAC, River Moidart SAC, Sound of Arisaig mSAC, Sunart SAC.
Unofficial but locally accepted name for the site/s	Sunart Oakwoods Initiative area, Ardnamurchan, Morvern.
Natura 2000 site number	Ardgour Pinewoods SAC - UK0013091, Ardnamurchan Burns SAC - UK0030079, Beinn Iadain & Beinn na h'Uamha SAC - UK0012864, Claish Moss & Kentra Moss SAC - UK0019771, Loch Moidart & Loch Shiel Woods SAC - UK0030209, Loch Shiel SPA - UK0001721, Morvern Woods SAC - UK0030217, River Moidart SAC - UK0012994, Sound of Arisaig mSAC - UK0019802, Sunart SAC - UK0019803.
Size of site (hectares)	Ardgour Pinewoods SAC - 1647.32, Ardnamurchan Burns SAC - 24.98 + Beinn Iadain & Beinn na h'Uamha SAC - 524.85 + Claish Moss & Kentra Moss SAC - 1013.78 + Loch Moidart & Loch Shiel Woods SAC - 1756.77 + Loch Shiel SPA - 2290.94 + Morvern Woods SAC - 1559.95 + River Moidart SAC - 15.69 + Sound of Arisaig mSAC - 4556.65 + Sunart SAC - 10247.13 = 21,990.47 ha
Site classification / description	SAC/SPA sites hosting a number of Natura habitats and species.
Key Species types	Otter
	Pine marten
	Wildcat
	Wildcat
	Common seal
	Fresh water pearl mussel
	Black-throated diver
	Irish Lady's tresses Spiranthes romanzoffiana
	quillwort Isoetes echinospora
	small cow wheat Melampyrum sylvaticum
	northern rock cress Arabis petraea
	bog orchid Hammarbya paludosa
	rock whitebeam Sorbus rupicola
	Lapland marsh-orchid Dactylorhiza lapponica
	narrow-leaved helleborine Cephalanthera longifolia
	eelgrass Zostera marina
	dwarf eelgrass Zostera noltii
	Atlantic Bryophyte communities, including Sematophyllum micans, Ulota calvescens and Acrobolbus wilsonii
	Atlantic Lichen communities, including Arthothelium dictyosporum, Leptogium hibernicum, and all four British species of Lobaria
	Knotted wrack Ascophyllum nodosum ecad mackaii
Key Habitats	Old sessile oak woods with Ilex and Blechnum in the British Isles
	Tilio-Acerion forests of slopes, screes and ravines
	European dry heaths
	Northern Atlantic wet heaths with Erica tetralix
	Intertidal and sub-tidal Reefs
	Blanket bog
	Depressions on peat substrates of the Rhynchosporion
	Caledonian forest
	Alluvial forests with Alnus glutinosa and Fraxinus excelsior (Alno-Padion, Alnion incanae, Salicion albae)
	Species-rich Nardus grassland, on siliceous substrates in mountain areas (and submountain areas in continental Europe)
	Hydrophilous tall herb fringe communities of plains and of the montane to alpine levels
	Alpine pioneer formations of the Caricion bicoloris-atrofuscae
	Calcareous and calcshist screes of the montane to alpine levels (Thlaspietea rotundifolii)
	Calcareous rocky slopes with chasmophytic vegetation
	Sandbanks which are slightly covered by sea water all the time
Key management issues	There are two main management issues which are being addressed for the woodlands within the area; firstly removal of threats to natural functioning of the woodlands, principally removal of non-native invasive species such as Rhododendron ponticum and non-native conifers, and the reduction of livestock and deer grazing pressure. Secondly, to encourage woodland owners and managers to bring certain areas of their woods back into active management, after in some cases decades of inactivity, to improve their biodiversity. For the heathland habitats, the issues are determining and maintaining the balance of grazing on the site and managing invasive species such as bracken and rhododendron. For the marine interests, the management issues relate to ensuring that current and any future development activities, be it commercial (e.g.. fish farming) or leisure related are compatible with the reefs and otter population.

Natura Network Agreements

*Organising at least one Green Days* event per year**	For the past four years, Green Day events have been organised and run within Sunart and neighbouring SACs. Recent events have involved local primary school children and staff in activities related to the habitats within the SAC, including trips on a glass-bottomed boat, marine touch pools, arts and crafts, and woodland treasure hunts. For 2005, there will be a series of guided walks within the woodlands in the Sunart area lead by the Highland Council Ranger or the Sunart Community Ranger and a Scottish Natural Heritage lead walk to the neighbouring Claish Moss SAC/National Nature Reserve/Ramsar site.
Promoting Natura 2000 at the local level	Over the past seven years there have been a number of events organised to help to promote Natura 2000 to local residents and vistors to the area. These events have been organised through European LIFE and EAGGF funded projects and have focussed issues such as rhododendron control techniques, sustainable woodland management techniques and low impact means of harvesting small volumes of high value timber from difficult/sensitive sites. Natura 2000 has also been regularly promoted at the Sunart Agricultural Show through displays and children's activities. Sunart has also benefitted from the employment of a LIFE fund sponsored Environmental Education and Interpretation Officer to raise the profile of the SAC and its management through regular work with local schools, development of leaflets and information panels, and compilation of an educational resource. Of particular note was the work done by the Project Officer in the use of the arts to promote Natura and the local habitats; outputs included music composition and performance by local children (Natural Rhythms project), arts and photographic workshops and competitions.
Promoting Natura 2000 at the local level	Over the past seven years there have been a number of events organised to help to promote Natura 2000 to local residents and vistors to the area. These events have been organised through European LIFE and EAGGF funded projects and have focussed issues such as rhododendron control techniques, sustainable woodland management techniques and low impact means of harvesting small volumes of high value timber from difficult/sensitive sites. Natura 2000 has also been regularly promoted at the Sunart Agricultural Show through displays and children's activities. Sunart has also benefitted from the employment of a LIFE fund sponsored Environmental Education and Interpretation Officer to raise the profile of the SAC and its management through regular work with local schools, development of leaflets and information panels, and compilation of an educational resource. Of particular note was the work done by the Project Officer in the use of the arts to promote Natura and the local habitats; outputs included music composition and performance by local children (Natural Rhythms project), arts and photographic workshops and competitions.
Involving local stakeholders in the management planning process - creating a local area partnership	The management of the woodlands and associated habitats within the Sunart Oakwoods Initiative area is breaking new ground in partnership working to safeguard and enhance important habitats for nature conservation, and in particular Natura sites. There are two inter-related groups in existence in the Sunart Oakwoods Initiative area which involve local stakeholders in discussions regarding the management of the Natura and associated habitats around Sunart. With a direct focus on the management of the Natura habitats is the Sunart SAC Management Forum. This group is composed of representatives of Regulatory Authorities, community councils, landowners interests and other interested members of the community. The aim of this group has been to agree and oversee the implementation of a Management Strategy for the Sunart SAC which ensures the nature conservation interests are secured and enhanced, but that social and economic interests in the area are not compromised. I represent Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) on this group and feel it has been an effective means of getting stakeholders together to have a frank and open discussion about the issues associated with the SAC designation and habitat management requirements, both terrestrial and marine. Through the discussion process, it has been clear that trust has been built up between the Regulatory bodies and local community/businesses who were initially wary once the site was designated. The second group is known as the Sunart Oakwoods Initiative (SOI) and has interests in an area far wider than Sunart SAC. This group is made up of the local government agencies operating in the area, including local council and development agency, and community representatives, The SOI and believes that nature conservation and rural development are complementary and is working to deliver this vision within the area. The group has been successful in securing European and other funding for habitat restoration work in and adjacent to SACs, provision of tourism infrastructure such as footpaths and interpretation panels/leaflets. The Sunart Oakwoods Initiative has also lead on the development and promotion of sustainable woodland management models, adding value locally to timber and the development of training and skills projects. I represent SNH on this group and the main benefits I have seen has been the enthusiasm and increased ownership of the designated sites in the area which has developed as projects have been delivered to the benefit of the local economy. The strength of the partnership has also meant that funding has been secured for Natura habitat restoration and safeguard from agencies which ordinarily would not be involved, for example the enterprise company. As a result of the activity of the SOI, a group of private sector owners have formed a formal partnership with Forestry Commission Scotland, the North Sunart Woodland Owners Group, and have agreed a vision for the woodlands within their area through the production of a joint management plan which includes collaborate management for issues such as deer control and sharing of woodland machinery. The group has recently been successful in securing Leader + funds to implement the management plan and purchase equipment to enable them to undertake the work themselves.
Branding Natura 2000	All relevant interpretation produced by the Sunart Oakwoods Initiative contains reference to Natura and/or the LIFE logo.
Agreeing to become an NNi ambassador	Brian Eardley (Scottish Natural Heritage) brian.eardley(a)snh.gov.uk is an NNi Ambassador.