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Designations and Technical Terms!

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As you read the Coast & Countryside pages, you will find designations and technical terms that you may not be familiar with. Each page has links which will tell you what these designations mean, but this page will give you a "bluffer's guide" to the many special areas within Limavady Borough.

So what's in the Borough?

There are two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty in Limavady Borough - Binevenagh, (which covers from Magilligan to the cliffs at Binevenagh, Gortmore and Eagle's Hill), and Sperrin, which at the southern end of the Borough covers Banagher Glen, Benbradagh, Glenshane and Corrick Mountain

There are currently thirteen Areas of Special Scientific Interest sites in the Borough - Aghanloo Wood, Altmover Glen, Ballymacallion, Ballyrisk More, Banagher Glen, Binevenagh, Bovevagh, Carn/Glenshane, Castle River Valley, Lough Foyle, Magilligan, River Roe & tributaries, and Smulgedon. 

Magilligan is currently under consideration as a Special Area of Conservation because of the sand dune system and associated vegetation. It is one of the largest dune systems of its type in the UK.

Three other areas have now been forwarded to the European Commission as candidate Special Areas of Conservation. They are Banagher Glen because of its ancient woodland, Binevenagh because of its grassland and screes and Carn/Glenshane because of its blanket bog.

Special Protection Area sites are internationally important areas for breeding, over-wintering and migrating birds. Lough Foyle is one of eleven such sites designated in Northern Ireland and includes part of the Lough Foyle and Magilligan ASSIs. The site supports over 20,000 migratory wildfowl including Red-Throated diver, Teal, Shelduck and Red-breasted Merganser.

Lough Foyle is also considered a Ramsar site, which means it includes wetlands of international importance

The Borough has five Nature Reserves, and these include Ballymaclary, Banagher Glen, Binevenagh, Magilligan Point, and the Roe Estuary

 

What are all these designations?

For its small area, Northern Ireland has a great variety of scenic countryside and although there are no National Parks, large areas of landscape of distinctive character and special scenic value have been designated Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. This designation is designed to protect and enhance the qualities of each area and to promote their enjoyment by the public.

A wetland is defined in the Convention as being an area of marsh, fen, peatland or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt and including areas of intertidal marine water. Such sites are therefore called Ramsar Sites

A National Nature Reserve is defined as an area of importance for flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which are reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research. Environment and Heritage Service declares nature reserves under the Nature Conservation and Amenity Lands (Northern Ireland) Order 1985. To date, 47 nature reserves have been declared in Northern Ireland.

Areas of Special Scientific Interest are protected because of the variety of flora, fauna or land features. ASSI are areas of land that have been identified by scientific survey as being of the highest degree of conservation value. They have a well-defined boundary and by and large remain in private ownership. The underlying philosophy is to achieve conservation by co-operation and in this, the part played by landowners is fully recognised and appreciated.

ASSIs are nationally-important, but sometimes these areas can be "promoted" to Special Areas of Conservation.  This is a designation which has a European importance; Limavady has four such designations, with another under consideration. 

Special Protection Areas are designated under the European Commission Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds (The Birds Directive). All European Community member States are required to identify internationally important areas for breeding, over-wintering and migrating birds and designate them as Special Protection Areas.