Our Process
If you are a landowner and are looking to sell Biodiversity Net Gain Units created from improving bio-diversity on your land, there are a number of steps;
Step 1 – Biodiversity baseline assessment, this stipulates what is on site at the outset.
Step 2 – Maximising net gain assessment, this is to calculate the maximum amount of units that can be generated from your land; these are the units that can then be sold.
Step 3 – Habitat Management and Monitoring Plan, this is the ”How to”, implement the improvements and enhancements of the habitats on your land to gain the additional units and the ongoing 30 year maintenance program.
This is where we come in.
The First Steps
Most landowners approach us at the very outset, we are then able to work with our trusted partners to have them carry out Steps 1- 3. Creation of the Biodiversity Base line, the Maximising Net Gain assessment and the Habitat, Management & Monitoring Plan. If however you have already had these surveys and documentation is fit for purpose we are able to work with these reports. Communication is vital at this early stage as there maybe additional opportunities that can be identified for you to generate additional income in tandem with the production of the BNG units.
In addition to this discussion, there will be some initial checks made by ourselves to ensure we are happy to proceed with the legal agreement. These include:
* A review of the proposed changes to the land, including your existing BNG baseline and net gain assessments.
* A review of the Habitat Management and Monitoring Plan to ensure it is to the appropriate standard.
* An investigation of the legal title of the land.
* Any further checks required to ensure there are no conflicts of interest or risks we should be aware of.
The Conservation Covenant
Once we have completed our initial checks and are happy for the agreement to proceed, we will put together the Conservation Covenant. The Conservation Covenant is a legal agreement that details the plans for the land, the process for any land related disputes and the details of any costs related to the improvement and maintenance of the land.
The Monitoring Period
Once the Conservation Covenant is in place, it is our responsibility to ensure that the improvement and maintenance of the land, as detailed in the Habitat Management and Monitoring Plan (HMMP), is completed. This is achieved by monitoring progress of the HMMP, as a standard practice a contractor will carry out the work identified in the HMMP and within designated timeframes. Typically our visits are once each year for the first five years and then every five years assuming the land owner ensures the fulfillment of the HMMP. If the landowner does not fulfill the criteria of the HMMP additional visits by ourselves would be required (see flowchart below). As we view ourselves as partnering with you on this project we would always rather work with the landowner to ensure that all required criteria are met within the HMMP.
You can see the process as a whole below:
Need further help?
If you need assistance completing the initial surveys and assessments needed to put a Conservation Covenant in place, we can recommend an ecological firm that can help you with this.