A GEODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN (GAP) FOR CORNWALL and THE ISLES OF SCILLY.

Geology has finally joined biodiversity in the Action Planning process!

There has been a growing need to bring together national and local geoconservation targets with a strategic approach to provide clear guidance for the future of Earth Science Conservation in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

In its 1997 report, the Cornwall Biodiversity Initiative (CBI) decided that “the conservation of geological features in their own right would not be dealt with by the Cornwall Biodiversity Action Planning (BAP) process, as there was more than enough to cope with just focussing on the biodiversity. Many geologists were unhappy with this decision at the time, seeing the biodiversity of an area as a reflection of its geodiversity. However, this project finally gives the chance to redress the balance and implement the Geodiversity Action Planning process with the publication of the Cornwall Geodiversity Action Plan.

The GAP has adopted a similar approach to that taken by the successful Biodiversity Action Planning Process in Cornwall to:

• Audit the local resource – it explores the diversity of landscapes, rocks, soils and earth science skills available in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
• Evaluate the above and prioritise actions and develop targets, plans and strategies to ensure conservation of our Earth Heritage and sustainable use of the local geological resource.
• Increase public awareness and appreciation of the landscape character and distinctiveness of the local area.

It is hoped that the plan will be adopted by the Cornwall Biodiversity Initiative and work has already started on setting up the infrastructure to deliver the GAP.

A consultant, Paul Wheeler, was contracted to write the Geodiversity Action Plan for Cornwall.

The GAP is now available for download from this site. Click here to download the full GAP in PDF format (931kb). A shorter version with just the Executive Summary and Recommendations can be viewed here. Click here to download Executive summary in PDF format (103kb)

Geodiversity Action Plan for Cornwall
and the Isles of Scilly

To get a free copy of Adobe Acrobat PDF reader, click here

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