2. Contents
1. Policy purpose
2. Applicability and scope
3. Policy statements
3.1. Wildlife, habitat and landscape management
3.2. Future developments of the site
3.3. Waste management
3.4. Acquisition of resources
3.5. Research and survey works
3.6. Natural resource protection
4. Feedback and contact details
5. Definitions
Skalanes environmental policy
3. 1. Policy purpose:
The main reason for developing an environmental policy for Skalanes is to
outline the intent of the Skalanes centre with regards to conservation,
management and interpretation of the environment. The policy acts as a
deliberate plan of action to guide decisions and achieve rational outcomes.
This environmental policy may be used as a tool in the decision making
process to help decide priorities, maintain standards and ensure clarity
amongst staff, project partners and the general public.
The policy within this document is at an initial draft stage and is fully open
to comments and adjustments. This document gives Skalanes something of a
starting point for discussion of its environmental stand point and the
development of a holistic and practical environmental policy. The Nature
Conservation Act 1999, where applicable, can be seen as a minimum
standard that the centre will maintain.
2. Applicability and scope:
The policy will cover the following aspects:
All wildlife, habitat and landscape management carried out at
•
Skalanes
Acquisition of resources
•
Future development of the site
•
Waste management
•
Research and survey works
•
Natural resource protection
•
An environmental policy is not designed to hinder progress but should lead
to an element of environmental thinking and discussion for all significant
decisions. It should also help to identify and solve potential problems as and
when they arise.
The policy document should be disseminated to all who feed into the
centre/site; this should include, but is not restricted to, the following
parties:
All staff
•
All stake holders / investors
•
Contractors who are employed by Skalanes or who’s activities may
•
effect the environment of the site
All project partners, present and future
•
Guests to the site
•
The general public (policy made freely available i.e., via website)
•
3. Policy statements:
Skalanes environmental policy
4. The following statements have been compiled to clarify which activities are
currently having an impact on the environment of Skalanes. They also
include some thoughts on future actions likely to be of significance. These
statements expand on the applicability and scope section with detailed
descriptions of the centre’s environmental vision.
3.1 Wildlife, habitat and landscape management
For the purpose of land management the site can be considered as two
distinct areas, one being the land inside of the fence and surrounding the
house, the other being the wider landscape outside of the fence to the
furthest boundaries of the site.
Within the fence are both the Eider colony and the Arctic tern colony these
are afforded a level of protection beyond that which they receive in the
“true” wild. The active control of predators, mink and fox, is thought to be
a major contributing factor to the exceptional size of the tern colony and
the breeding success of both the tern and eider populations. The control of
predators will continue until research can prove otherwise. This subject is
evocative and will always generate healthy debate.
It is within the fence that the vast majority of disturbance to the
environment occurs; it is important to consider that the site of the present
centre has a history of disturbance through the various ages of settlement
(an inevitable side effect of human habitation) and even with controls in
place disturbance will continue to occur. However the centre will endeavour
to actively minimise this through both education and interpretation.
An important development regarding active management of habitats around
the centre and in the wider landscape will be the creation of a conservation
management plan. The environmental policy may then need some additions
so as to consider issues arising from the detailed planning of activities such
as habitat creation, re-forestation etc.
There is a responsibility for any person actively involved in management of
the site’s wildlife, habitats or landscape to be sufficiently knowledgeable to
do so, this may mean showing evidence of training, having relevant practical
experience or simply seeking advice when unsure. This ensures a high
standard of environmental management is reached.
3.2 Future developments of the site
Future developments need to be considered on a case by case basis to
ensure due attention is paid to possible environmental impacts. Impacts may
be positive or negative dependant upon the development in question.
If impacts, especially negative, are identified discussion should follow with
all relevant parties. Expert advice may need to be sought or research
carried out to resolve such issues. The most important aspect of this
statement is to emphasise the fact that precaution must be taken toward
the environment at all stages of all developments.
Skalanes environmental policy
5. As the centre develops an overall aesthetic will become more evident, from
logos through to building styles, it will feed from the past, be shaped by the
future and always be largely influenced by the environment. An
appreciation of this aesthetic is important for anybody having design input
for any given development at Skalanes.
3.3 Waste management
The centre aims to reduce waste where ever possible as an environmental
and economic priority. The waste generated will be dealt with in the
following ways:
Green waste – composted, returned to land
•
Bottles and cans – recycled
•
Non-biodegradable waste, plastic packaging etc – removed from site
•
Litter is a problem associated with tourism and will be combated by
education and interpretation, where this fails litter will be collected by
staff as they move about the site. Litter will also enter the site from the sea
and though the centre can do little about the source of this pollution an
effort will be made each spring to collect and remove as much as is
possible. This should prevent its spread inland.
3.4 Acquisition of resources
It is important to consider the environment when resources are acquired for
the running of the centre as well as for set projects. Taking into account
price, availability and suitability, resources should be chosen which are as
ecologically sound in their production, use and disposal as possible.
3.5 Research and survey works
Academic activity on the site is central to the development of Skalanes and
will be encouraged and supported by the centre. However it is imperative
that everybody associated with the centre is in agreement on proposals and
contracts concerning research and survey work at Skalanes.
For contracted works the environmental policy will be referred to at the
contract design stage. Every effort will be taken to find and use reputable
organisations/businesses therefore fostering good working relations and
reaching exemplary standards.
All research ideas require the submission of a detailed research plan that
will be disseminated to all relevant centre staff and partners for discussion
before approval. All reports, documents, papers etc resulting from research
will be made available to Skalanes on completion and will be used in the
creation of an academic foundation for future education and interpretation
activities. Skalanes retains the right to terminate any activity that
contravenes its environmental policy.
3.6 Natural resource protection
Skalanes environmental policy
6. All biodiversity, especially rare / localised species, are afforded protection
from human impact with the exception of the predatory species mentioned
in the wildlife, habitat and landscape management policy statement. These
predator species are not actively hunted outside of the fenced area of the
site.
Pollution will be avoided and any pollution incident that occurs on the site
must be brought to the attention of the Skalanes staff to be dealt with
immediately.
Soil erosion is a major threat to exposed soil at Skalanes and various
methods of prevention will be applied and their success monitored with the
aim of slowing this destructive process.
Livestock grazing has been stopped across all land owned by the centre to
promote the natural regeneration of tree species which have been stunted
by continuous grazing. Some sympathetic grazing may occur in the future
when a greater understanding of the woodland regeneration has been
developed.
Species introduction is something that must be backed up with sound
knowledge of the species in question. Introductions can be problematic not
only in their success but also their effects on species already present. A
good Icelandic example is the Lupin (Lupinus nootkatensis), where it grows
it has been successful in its aim to stabilize and develop the soil. The
problem is that Lupin is now thought to be encroaching into habitat other
than the bare soils it was introduced to combat. This encroachment is
detrimental to the native flora which can not compete with the Lupin. Lupin
will be studied at Skalanes using satellite imagery and trials of
control/eradication.
4. Feed back and contact details:
The success of this environmental policy is reliant upon feed back from
those who read it; this helps to create a holistic policy that will be both
proactive and reactive to all activities and impacts acting over the
environment of Skalanes. Please contact the centre staff using the details
given bellow:
Skalanes nature and heritage centre,
710 Seyðisfjorður,
Iceland
Email – skalanes@skalanes.com
Telephone – 690 6966
Wren Franklin - wrenfranklin@yahoo.co.uk – UK based nature conservation
contractor
5. Definitions:
Skalanes environmental policy
7. Species
A species is one of the basic units of biological classification and is often
defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing
fertile offspring.
Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the variation of taxonomic life forms within a given
ecosystem, biome or for the entire earth and is often used as a measure of
the health of biological systems.
Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a natural unit consisting of all plants, animals and micro
organisms in an area functioning together with all non-living physical factors
of the environment.
Habitat
A habitat is a special area where a particular species lives.
Pollution
Pollution is the introduction of pollutants (chemicals, noise, heat, light,
energy and others) into the environment which results in detrimental effects
of such a nature as to endanger human health, harm living resources and
ecosystems and impair or interfere with amenities and other legitimate uses
of the environment.
Interpretation
Interpretation is an intellectual activity that consists of facilitating
communication of often complex subjects to a target audience.
Skalanes environmental policy
