Act now for your 2012 great crested newt surveys
All of our ecologists at CSa have experience with great crested newts. The main survey season for newts runs between mid-March and mid-June, with half of the pond-based surveys needing to occur between mid-April and mid-May. With a dry start to 2012, it looks as if early surveys will be best and time is therefore running out to put these surveys in hand.
Weather conditions play an important role in surveying for newts and it is vital that sufficient time is allowed such that the required number of suvey visits can be successfully completed within the specified time windows. With prior scoping work generally required to determine which ponds to survey, it is important to undertake pond assessements and arrange access as early as possible.
One of our team is always on hand to discuss your project requirements, so please don't hesitate to call our office to discuss matters. However, the following questions and answers may address some of your initial queries:
Q. What are the Newt survey season timings?
A. According to the Great Crested Newt Survey Guidelines, which it is important to follow, surveys for GCN within ponds should be completed between mid-March and mid-June, with half or more of all survey visits carried out in the core period of mid-April to mid-May.
Q. How many survey visits are needed?
A. A presence / absence survey will involve four survey visits but, if GCN are found, two further surveys will be expected to obtain an estimate of population size class (low / medium / high). This size class estimate will be needed to inform decisions and to determine the appropriate approach to mitigation.
Q. What does the survey work entail?
A. At the outset we are guided to consider ponds / suitable waterbodies up to 500m from development, but this may be narrowed down by initial assessment work. It is often helpful to conduct a Habitat Suitability Index (HSI) assessment to determine how good a pond is likely to be for GCN. We often undertake this as part of initial scoping work, prior to the main pond surveys. The pond surveys themselves involve the use of at least three survey techniques to look for newts and evidence of breeding. Surveys techinques include setting bottle traps overnight, torchlight searching, netting and egg searching.
Q. What happens if we find Great Crested Newts?
A. The implications of finding GCN will obviously depend on the location of the ponds, the location of the terrestrial habitats that newts are likely to use and a range of other factors. Each site will be different and site-specific advice is essential. Measures to avoid impcts to GCN and/or to mitigate for any effects will need to be included within the development plans. Two common scenarios are that either a Non-licensable Methods Statement will need to be developed to demonstrate how impacts to GCN will be avoided or a European Protected Species (EPS) licence will be required. An EPS licence provides a derogation from the legislation such that works can proseed without an offence being committed. CSa have extensive experience with obtaining EPS licences (see further information on our EPS licensing webpage).
To discuss matters in more detail call us on 01386 751100 or 01462 743647
