BRITISH ASSOCIATION FOR SHOOTING AND CONSERVATION

The British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) is the largest organisation representing shooting sports in the UK. The Association has a UK wide remit with four centres in England and Country Offices in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The contribution of shooting to the countryside and biodiversity conservation cannot be underestimated as management for a healthy quarry population relies upon sound conservation techniques. From the mudflats to the highlands the Association provides its members with conservation and land management advice that maximises the potential for quarry and other wildlife. Consequently, shooting sports are a key deliverer for biodiversity in the UK.

Cheshire is of great importance to BASC as it is first LBAP where BASC has recruited its members en masse to work directly on local biodiversity targets. The initiative is known as the Cheshire Biodiversity Project and is partnership project between BASC and the Countdown Programme. BASC has surveyed our members shooting in Cheshire to find out where they shot and which species and habitats included in the Countdown Programme occur there. We discovered the following:

• BASC members shoot over 27% of the county's land area
  
• Every member had a priority habitat as listed in Countdown, 91% had a priority mammal species and 85% a priority bird species
  
• As over 77% of our members allowed us to share the data we have generated 6200 biological records that can be accessed through rECOrd specifically we have doubled records for song thrush, skylark and grey partridge

This information was available to the partnership via rECOrd and BASC in the Spring of 2002 and since then we have been using the results of the survey as a database to link BASC members with conservation action that is needed to deliver targets in this CD. If you look at some of the reports on this website such as Hedgerows, Bats, Dormice and Farmland birds you will be able to see how valuable this project is for linking those with an interest in conservation who also have access to land with those trying to achieve challenging conservation targets.

The work in Cheshire is the first of what BASC aim to become a growing initiative of surveying our members in LBAPs and engaging them with the delivery of biodiversity targets. In fact a similar project is underway in North Wales from which we aim to have the survey data ready to use by the Spring of 2005. In fact nearly 25% of LBAPs in the UK have expressed an interest in running this type of project.

BASC are extremely pleased with the Cheshire Biodiversity Project as it goes to show what can be achieved by working together in trust and partnership.

In the last five years BASC has done the following:

Dormouse

Found a Dormouse nest in woodland managed by a BASC syndicate in the south of Cheshire. This is strongly suggestive of their presence. Working with the Cheshire Wildlife Trust (CWT) we have erected nest boxes to further establish their presence. Have erected nesting tubes in a separate wood on the other side of the farm to continue to survey for their presence in the area. A number of other sites in the county have been surveyed using nest tubes.

Water Vole

With volunteers provided by Cheshire County Council have surveyed 3 of 5 intended sites to survey for their presence. Awaiting surveys on 2 sites where our members report sightings. Working with the North West Lowlands Water Vole Project Officer surveying the river Gowy for water vole. Using mink rafts initiated a programme of mink control and habitat management on the river Gowy.

Otter

Have provided a suitable site via our membership along the river Gowy, for CWT to site video recording equipment.

Bats

Continue to work with CWT in providing access to parts of the county where bat records are deficient for ongoing survey work.

Lesser Silver Water Beetle

Found multiple sites via our membership for an ecologist to survey for this species. Have found breeding evidence for Great Crested Newts at 3 of these sites.

Farmland Birds

Continue to provide access to land via our members to contribute to farmland bird surveys.

FWAG have undertaken site visits to 10 of our members to provide advice on conservation measures and environmental stewardship.

Four of our members are currently engaged in the RSPB Operation Tree Sparrow scheme to provide nest boxes and feeding stations for this species. One of our members is participating in the RSPB Lapwing and Skylark lifeline scheme by allowing ongoing survey work to be done

Via our own Wildlife Habitat Trust (WHT) we have provided funds to install extra wild bird cover crops aimed at increasing numbers of Grey Partridge. Ongoing brood counts will indicate the success of this scheme.

Brown Hare

Continue to provide rECOrd with sightings of Hares as part of the ongoing monitoring programme

Hedgerows

Together with the Cheshire Landscape Trust continue to provide 2,000 plants a year for our members to plant new/gap up hedgerows on their land. Also, ten members undertook a hedgerow training day aimed at plant identification.

Through successful funding bids with the Sandstone Ridge Econet Partnership and the Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund secured over £15,000 worth of funding towards habitat works on four shoots in the county. Work includes new hedgerow planting, new woodland planting, the creation of two new ponds and installation of bat boxes.

Contact:
Ben Gregory
Cheshire Biodiversity Project Officer
Tel: 01244 573 024 or 07825 989 749
Fax: 01244 573 013
Website: www.basc.org.uk