How we work

For seven broad habitat types: Coastal, Freshwater, Lowland grassland,Lowland heathland, Lowland wetland, Uplands and Woodland, and to address the wider conservation concerns of Air pollution and Soils, Lead Co-ordination Networks (LCNs) have been established and funded by JNCC.

 

Other conservation concerns of Biotechnology and Pesticides and Toxic Substances, are addressed by Lead Agencies. On these issues, one of the country agencies is appointed to take the lead in providing advice on behalf of all the agencies.

 

Advice on policy matters of common concern related to agriculture, woodlands and other rural land uses is provided by the Land Use Policy Group (LUPG), which comprises JNCC and the three county agencies together with the Countryside Agency and the Environment Agency.

 

JNCC and the country agencies also collaborate through less formal Inter-Agency Working Groups comprising of agency specialists in birds, Climate change, earth science, reptiles and amphibians, invertebrates, marine habitats, marine mammals, urban habitats and plants. The Inter-Agency Monitoring Group has a particularly important role in developing common standards for monitoring on designated conservation sites across the UK.

 

Specialist staff from the three country agencies are appointed as members of each group, and are jointly responsible for carrying out its work. Each group also has an 'observer' from the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (formally Environment and Heritage Service in Northern Ireland).