Nidderdale AONB has just got underway with a project to survey the Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC's) in the AONB.

The project is a pilot scheme developed in partnership with North Yorkshire County Council to monitor existing SINC's, develop management plans and deliver active management to protect the biodiversity value of these important non-statutory wildlife sites in this nationally designated landscape.

SINCs are often small, isolated and fragmented and their protection and management has, in the past, been poorly coordinated despite their significant importance in biodiversity terms. The project will deliver a number of positive long-term biodiversity and conservation benefits.

The first stage of the project will be to ensure that landowners are aware that they have a SINC on their property. Contacting SINC owners will also provide an opportunity to develop a positive relationship between the landowner and the AONB to influence effective future management.

Surveys will then be undertaken on identified sites and will assess the condition and help to draw up management proposals. Landowners will then be encouraged to adopt SINC management plans and undertake capital works that deliver conservation benefits. These capital works could be undertaken by working with landowners to help them access ELS, HLS and Upland HLS schemes.The capital works required to bring demonstration sites into good management will be undertaken largely by the AONB's existing volunteer workforce.

The project will increase awareness of SINC's and assist landowners in bringing sites into better management and will ensure the protection of important biodiversity sites across the AONB which are valued by local residents and visitors alike.