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Dr Neil Smith Conservation Officer Sites Team - North Region Countryside Council for Wales. CCW’s remit in terms of the River Dee catchment ‘Features’ of interest Why do anything about invasive plant species ? How CCW can assist with works to manage the problem of invasive plant species.
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Dr Neil Smith Conservation Officer Sites Team - North Region Countryside Council for Wales
CCW’s remit in terms of the River Dee catchment • ‘Features’ of interest • Why do anything about invasive plant species ? • How CCW can assist with works to manage the problem of invasive plant species
CCW’s remit in terms of the River Dee catchment • The main river Dee and four tributaries are covered by both a national and international nature conservation designation. • Afon Dyfrdwy (River Dee) SSSI • River Dee and Bala Lake / Afon Dyfrdwy a Llyn Tegid SAC. • Wider role in terms of biodiversity, access to the countryside, AONB
‘Features’ of interest - SAC • Special Area of Conservation (SAC): European designation. • Atlantic salmon • Rivers with floating vegetation often dominated by water-crowfoot • Floating water-plantain • Otter • 3 species of lamprey – sea lamprey, river lamprey and brook lamprey • Bullhead
‘Features’ of interest - SSSI • All of the above SAC features. • The SSSI ‘feature’ for the vegetation includes marginal vegetation along the banks. • Additional national (SSSI) features of importance include: • Saltmarsh, marginal vegetation, Slender Hare's-ear, Sea barley, club-tailed dragonfly, Isogenus nubecula (stonefly) and Baris lepidii (weevil) 3 geomorphological areas – reflecting the fluvial history of the river and exposure of sediments.
Why do anything about invasive plant species ? • Bank-side vegetation is part of the ‘natural’ vegetation that we are trying to maintain. • Invasive non-native species can be vigorous competitors to the native flora. • They replace native flora and may affect native food web. • Their die back may lead to bank instability during flood or high water conditions – economic consequences for land owners and statutory authorities. • May block or impede access to the river and adjacent areas. • etc…..
How CCW can assist • Provide grant aid to suitable projects that seek to maintain or enhance the features of the site. e.g. Welsh Dee Trust / Afonydd Cymru. • Provide consent for positive conservation works. • Where positive conservation works are committed to, a small amount of money is available to encourage owners or occupiers to continue those works, through a section 15 management Agreement.
Hope that you find today instructive and encouraging. • you are not on your own, there are lots of other people out there, trying to do a similar thing to you. • You may be able to get help from other organisations. • You may be able to help others get started to do the same thing.
Dr Neil Smith Swyddog Cadwraeth / Conservation Officer, Cyngor Cefn Gwlad Cymru / Countryside Council for Wales Rhanbarth Gogledd Cymru / North Wales Region Cyngor Cefn Gwlad Cymru / Countryside Council for Wales Glan y Nant, Uned 19 / Glan y Nant, Unit 19. Parc Busnes Yr Wyddgrug / Mold Business Park. Ffordd Wrecsam / Wrexham Road. Yr Wyddgrug / Mold. Sir Y Fflint / Flintshire CH7 1XP Ffôn/Phone: 01352 706600 / Ffacs/Fax: 01352 752346 E-bost/E-mail: n.smith@ccw.gov.uk ( mailto:n.smith@ccw.gov.uk ) Ar y Wê/Web site: http://www.ccw.gov.uk