Quarries offer key to wildlife recovery

QUARRIES and mineral workings could hold the key to restoring huge areas of wildlife habitat, according to new research by The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). The Society has found that restoring sites once mineral extraction has finished could play a major role in reinstating the country’s lost and threatened wildlife habitats by creating thousands of hectares of woodland, heath, meadows and reed beds.

In 2005 there were around 1,300 active mineral sites in England alone, covering more than 64,000ha. The RSPB believes that almost 56,000ha are suitable for restoring one or more of the 17 habitats listed as a priority under the Government’s Biodiversity Action Plans.

However, the Society’s study, funded by the Mineral Industry Research Organisation (MIRO), shows the actual amount of habitat creation on former mineral sites falls far short of what could be achieved.

As a result, the RSPB is calling for a shake-up of the planning guidance given to local authorities to make large-scale habitat creation a recognized and priority end use for mineral sites. It says creating wildlife habitats in the right areas can bring massive benefits for wildlife conservation and recreation opportunities for local people.

It also wants to see more use made of agri-environment schemes, tax credits and support from mineral operators to make habitat creation an easier and more attractive option for landowners, many of whom are reluctant to see their land used for nature conservation due to a lack of obvious income.

The report shows that by focusing effort on 412 sites within 1km of existing habitat, existing UK BAP targets for nine priority habitats could be met or exceeded, including lowland heathland, wet reed beds and grazing marsh.

Dr Mark Avery, the RSPB’s director of conservation, said: ‘It is clear from this research that mineral sites offer a highly cost-effective way of creating huge areas of wildlife habitat. They are by no means the only possible source for new habitat, but they are a vitally important one. At present, they are being woefully under-used.’

Last month the RSPB launched ‘After Minerals’, a new website that provides mineral operators and planners with the resources needed to plan appropriate habitat restoration as an end use. The site includes an interactive mapping tool capable of displaying information and advice for specific sites.