Conservation & Ecology
marginal vegetation at the water’s edge. They tend to feed on the lush stems,
leaves and flowers of plants such as meadowsweet, willowherb, nettles, yellow flag iris, reeds, grasses, rushes and sedges. It is, therefore, a good idea to encourage these plants where possible. However, they will resort to feeding on
roots, willow bark, rhizomes and bulbs in the winter months when such food is scarce.
Timings of tree work Water Voles and the law
As of 6th April 2008, water voles are fully protected under Section 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended).
Legal protection for water voles makes it an offence to:
• intentionally or recklessly damage, destroy or obstruct access to any structure or place which water voles use for shelter or protection or disturb water voles whilst they are using such a place
• intentionally kill, injure or take (capture) a water vole
• possess or control a live or dead water vole, or any part of a water vole
• sell, offer for sale or advertise live or dead water voles
This legal protection requires that due care and attention is paid to the presence of water voles, and that appropriate actions are taken to avoid committing offences.
Landowners wishing to alter or build on areas used by water voles must ensure that unnecessary damage is avoided and all reasonable steps are taken to minimise impacts on water voles or their burrows.
Best practice includes surveying the site for water voles during the breeding season prior to planning any work and ensuring that appropriate avoidance or mitigation measures are included in the proposals.
Offences under Section 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act carry a maximum penalty of a fine not exceeding Level 5 on the standard scale (currently £5000), imprisonment for up to six months, or both.
In addition, the courts may order the forfeiture of any vehicle or other thing that was used to commit the offence. Please note that licences are available from Natural England to allow certain activities, under strict conditions, that would otherwise be offences.
If you require further guidance on the legal status of water voles or information on licensing, please contact Natural England for advice on dealing with wildlife management.
Wildlife Licensing Natural England First Floor Temple Quay House 2 The Square Bristol BS1 6DG
E:
wildlife@naturalengland.org.uk T: 0208 026 1089
Visit
www.gov.uk for further information 106 I PC OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016
Pollarding, coppicing, bankside tree thinning, hedge laying and extensive scrub control should not be carried out between 1st March and 31st August (bird nesting season). Care must also be taken to ensure that habitats important to other protected species - for example bats, otters, native crayfish etc. - are not damaged accidentally. Please note that waste logs, branches and
brash can be used to construct artificial otter holts should you be fortunate enough to have them in your locality.
Wet ditch management
De-silt ditches as infrequently as possible - once every five years is about right. This should only be carried out between mid- September and late January. Avoid de-silting more than half the wet ditch in any winter. Only cut ‘in-flow’ aquatic vegetation from mid-September to late February, and try to leave up to 50% intact to avoid bank erosion from faster flowing water. Non-woody bankside vegetation should only be cut once every three to five years, and in rotation, so that each bank is not cut more than once in two years. Limit cutting regimes to the autumn and try to leave a third of each wet ditch untouched (e.g. 10- 20m lengths) as refuges for water voles.
Reduce overshading
Reduction of overshading of banks and water encourages a healthy growth of bankside, marginal and aquatic vegetation. This can be achieved by pollarding willows, coppicing
young alder and hazel, trimming overhanging branches, laying waterside hedges and rotating scrub management. Control invasive species such as Japanese
Knotweed, Himalayan balsam and Giant hogweed prior to flowering, generally in early June.
New water features
If you are considering the installation of a new water feature at your facility, it makes perfect sense to do so with wildlife in mind. Not only will the members be enthralled by the goings-on in and around the pond, but you will also be doing your bit to help the local ecology. Whilst the many species will have different
requirements for their watery home, it is possible to accomodate a whole range of wildlife with careful planning. I would recommend talking to your county
Wildlife Trust, or contacting Bob Taylor at the STRI, who will be more than willing to give helpful advice. A few pointers to attract water voles:
ensure there is sufficient water all year round and that the banks are soft, steep and/or stepped. The banks should be lush and herbaceous with plenty of aquatic vegetation and very litte or no overshading. Where possible, build new features close to existing watercourses or other wetland habitats that already support water voles and other wildlife. If you have ‘dry ditches’ then, simply by
installing timber boards or bunds at regular intervals of roughly 50m, water can be retained in otherwise dry ditches by creating small linear ponds perfect for water voles. As long as the boards/bunds are below banktop - less than a third the depth of the ditch - they will not impede the flow of water when the ditch is at bank full capacity.
The Wildlife Trusts -
www.wildlifetrusts.org
Bob Taylor, STRI. Tel: 07779 246991 or emal
bob.taylor@stri.co.uk.
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