This guidance aims to help you to frame your application for support to undertake the Rural Priorities Upland Habitat Management Plan Option. Please find below a note of the key items that we expect you to ask contractors to consider when helping you to develop your Plan.
1. Site assessment
Habitat condition assessments
- Aim: To undertake a habitat condition assessment of [Name of Area/Site/Your management unit] to inform the development of an Upland Habitat Management Plan for [Name of Area/Site/Deer Range]. The Plan aims to maintain/to bring the special features of [Designated site name(s)] into Favourable condition. Include a map to show the extent of the whole plan area/deer range, and the area that you manage.
- Method: Must conform to Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) Best Practice Guidance on Impact Assessment. Submit a draft report to [name] for comment by [date] and a final report by [date].
- Timescale: to be completed by [date].
Open range deer counts
- Aim: To undertake a deer count of [Name of Area/Site] to inform the development of an Upland Habitat Management Plan for [Name of Area/Site/Deer Range]. The Plan aims to maintain/to bring the special features of [Designated site name(s)] into Favourable condition. Include a map to show the extent of the whole plan area/deer range, and the area that you manage.
- Method: Must conform to SNH Best Practice Guidance on Open range deer counting. Submit a draft report to [name] for comment by [date] and a final report by [date].
- Timescale: to be completed by [date].
2. Plan preparation.
- Aim: Prepare an Upland Habitat Management Plan for [Name of Area/Site/Deer Range] and provide a Plan for [Name of applicant] at [Name of Area/Site]. The Plan aims to maintain/to bring the special features of [Designated site name(s)] into Favourable condition. Include a map to show the extent of the whole plan area/deer range, and the area that you manage.
- Method: The Plan must meet the requirements set out in the Rural Priorities Upland Habitat Management Plan Option guidance and conform to SNH technical guidance* on Upland Habitat Management Plans. The Plan preparation will include collation of site assessments, liaison with land managers (including one-to-one meetings and collective meetings) and stakeholders.
Collaborative Plans: Where neighbouring land managers are collaborating to develop a Plan to manage the impact of grazing and trampling, the Plan will contain an overview of how deer and livestock impacts will be managed over the collaborative management area plus a plan for each holding. Applicants must explain to the contractor how they will share the costs of preparing the Plan overview. Each land manager will be liable for the cost of the Plan for their own holding plus their share of the Plan overview. Contractors must include in their quotes (i) the total cost of the Plan overview (ii) the applicant's share of the Plan overview and (iii) the cost of the applicant's own Plan.
- Timescale: to be completed by [insert date]
3. Plan annual review
- Aim: Conduct an annual review of an Upland Habitat Management Plan for [Name of Area/Site/Deer Range], including a review of the Plan for [Name of applicant] at [Name of Area/Site]
- Method: Facilitate an annual review of the Plan and update agreed targets and actions. You must submit a record of these consultations to the customer.
- Timescale: At the end of each of the first 4 years of the Plan's implementation. Submit a record of these consultations to the customer within 4 weeks of completing the consultation or 6 weeks after the year-end, whichever is soonest. For Plans that involve deer culls the review will take place after the deer cull and by 30 April.
4. Repeat habitat impact assessment
- Aim: To undertake a repeat habitat condition assessment of [Name of Area/Site] to inform the review of the Upland Habitat Management Plan for [Name of Area/Site/Deer Range]. Include a map to show the extent of the whole plan area, and the area that you manage.
- Method: Must conform to SNH Best Practice Guidance as detailed above.
- Timescale: In third year of the Plan's implementation in [date]. Submit a survey report to the customer within a month of undertaking the assessment.
5. Repeat open range deer count
- Aim: To undertake a repeat deer count of [Name of Area/Site] to inform the review of an Upland Habitat Management Plan for [Name of Area/Site/Deer Range]. Include a map to show the extent of the whole plan area, and the area of your land within it.
- Method: Must conform to SNH Best Practice Guidance on Open range deer counting. Results from the repeat habitat impact assessment will determine whether or not this work will be needed.
- Timescale: If needed, in third year of Plan's delivery or early part of 4th depending on weather conditions during the counting period. Confirmation of whether this count will be required will be provided by [date]. The deadline for completion will be [date].
General information
When asking contractors to submit a quote(s) to develop and review your Upland Habitat Management Plan, you may wish to ask for information under the following headings to help you to compare like for like quotes.
- The methods they propose to use
- Number of days that they propose to take
- Timetable - to demonstrate the contractor's ability to meet the contract timeframe
- Experience/technical knowledge of proposed personnel, based on CVs etc submitted
- Health and safety provisions - contractors demonstrate their ability to meet health and safety requirements
- Data protection requirements - contractors demonstrate their ability to meet any data protection requirements that you may specify
- Terms and conditions - contractors confirm their acceptance of your terms and conditions
- Hourly/daily rates applicable
- Travel and subsistence costs
- Any other costs
- Total excluding VAT
- VAT status (of the contractor)
Please summarise the quotes (exclusive of VAT where you are VAT registered) using the Quotes summary table. You may include the following as Items of Expenditure:
1. Site assessment - habitat condition assessments
1. Site assessment - open range deer counts
2. Plan preparation
2. Plan annual review
3. Repeat habitat impact assessment
4. Repeat open range deer count
Where you have chosen to work in collaboration with others to develop your Plan, we suggest you provide a Quotes summary table to show quotes for the total cost of any items (e.g. the Plan overview) that will be shared, and a separate Quotes summary table to show the quotes for the costs you will incur (including your share of the Plan overview).
* Technical Guidance for Upland Habitat Management Plans is currently unavailable, but will be published soon.