Report on the Carbon Landscapes Project (pdf) - Lake District ...

Lake District National Park Authority Agenda Item: 10
Authority: 23 February 2011 Page 1
THE CARBON LANDSCAPES PROJECT
1 SUMMARY
1.1 We are leading a group of partners in developing an innovative project proposal that
will increase our understanding of the significance of the National Park landscape in
absorbing and storing carbon. We are seeking external funding for this project. We
are informing Members about this proposal and asking Members to agree to us
becoming the accountable body should we be successful in obtaining funding.
Recommendation that: a
b
Members note the proposals for the Carbon Landscapes
Project; and
Members approve the proposal that we become the
accountable body for the Carbon Landscapes Project
should our funding applications be successful.
2 BACKGROUND
2.1 We know that the National Park’s landscapes and habitats need to become more
robust in the face of climate change so that they can continue to flourish and deliver
the wide range of high quality “ecosystem services” to society. Ecosystem services
are the range of goods and services from the environment that are of benefit to
people. This increased robustness is vital, too, for the National Park’s landscapes
and habitats to increase the contribution that they can make to limiting future climate
change by absorbing and storing more carbon.
2.2 In order to enable the Partnership and land managers to take well-informed,
evidence-based land management decisions we have identified the need to increase
our understanding of different land management types on typical habitats for carbon
storage.
2.3 In order to work towards this we have been working with partners on an innovative
project proposal. A summary of the project proposal is included at Annex 1 for your
information. The project will achieve a number of significant objectives:
1) Gather baseline evidence of the carbon storage and flows in National Park
habitats under different forms of management by;
2) Involving a wide range of people, communities and volunteers in collecting data
in the National Park and learning about climate change and;
3) Demonstrate how different types of land management and different habitats can
adapt to and mitigate against climate change. All of this will lead to;
4) Informing land management policies and practice that will optimise the carbon
benefits of the Lake District landscapes and habitats and;
5) Enabling Lake District land managers to take advantage of potential future private
sector, public sector and third sector funding for carbon storage including carbon
trading or offsetting schemes.
2.4 We have developed this proposal with a wide range of partners including some new
innovative partnerships, in particular: Earthwatch Institute is a UK based international
non-profit organisation that offers people opportunities to take part in environmental
science; Impact International are a Lake District–based training and development
business; University of Cumbria and the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology are the
science partners.
2.5 The total value of the 5 year project proposal is £1,722,000. We have begun to
approach potential sources of funding for this type of project. We submitted an

Lake District National Park Authority Agenda Item: 10
Authority: 23 February 2011 Page 2
application to LIFE+, an EU fund for environment projects, in September 2010. The
maximum value of this funding would be £845,000. We will hear whether we have
been successful in April this year. In the LIFE+ application we and our partners have
committed to contributing some staff time and cash. Our cash contribution
commitment is £43,000 over the five-year project period. We are talking with the
Heritage Lottery Fund and we and our partners are investigating other potential
sources of funding for the other £789,000 of costs. Table 1 below summarises the
costs and funding.
Table 1 Summary of Project costs and funding
Amount % of total
Total Spend £1,722,000 100%
Funding
LIFE+ £845,000 49%
Earthwatch, University of £45,000 2.6%
Cumbria, Centre for Ecology and
Hydrology (combined)
Lake District National Park £43,000 2.5%
Total Funding
£933,000 54.1%
committed/applied for
Match Funding being sought £789,000 45.9%
2.6 We are the principal applicant in the LIFE+ application. If we are successful with this
and other match-funding applications we will need to be the accountable body for the
funding. Financial Regulations require the approval of Authority if the Authority is to
act as accountable body in respect of a contract where the value is in excess of
£200,000.
2.7 If the funding applications are successful a Project Manager, fully funded by the
project budget, will be appointed for the term of the project to ensure the
successful delivery of the project in terms of cost, quality and timing.
3 POLICY CONTEXT
3.1 Links to Vision and/or Management Plan
This project is included as Action 19.60 in the Partnership’s Plan: “Establish an
evidence base for carbon values of the natural environment”
3.2 Links to Business Plan
This project will contribute directly to our priorities and activities in our Business Plan:
Spectacular Landscape priority: “Develop and promote land management practises
that mitigate against and allow adaptation to the effects of climate change”. Activity
SL1: “Working with others to develop and deliver landscape and water catchment
projects that reflect and enhance the distinctive environmental qualities of different
areas of the National Park and mitigate against and adapt to climate change”.
3.3 Links to Other Strategic Plans
This project will contribute to delivering the objectives of the North West
Climate Change Action Plan 2010-2012, in particular actions in “A Well Adapting
Region Actions 10-11” http://www.climatechangenorthwest.co.uk/?page_id=2

Lake District National Park Authority Agenda Item: 10
Authority: 23 February 2011 Page 3
4 OPTIONS
4.1 Members have the following options:
a) agree that we become the accountable body for this project should we be
successful with funding applications;
b) ask for further information before making a decision
c) do not agree that we become the accountable body for this project should we be
successful with funding applications and ask officers to investigate alternative
arrangements.
5 PROPOSALS
5.1 I propose that Members agree option a) above and recommendations a) and b) at
the top of this report.
6 BEST VALUE IMPLICATIONS
6.1 The Best Value implications are:
a) Challenge – We are leading the development of this project and proposing that we
become the accountable body because Climate change adaptation and mitigation is
one of the Partnership’s Plan priorities and one of our Business Plan priorities
b) Compare – Other organisations in the UK are investigating carbon characteristics
of the UK landscape, but only we and our partners have the incentive to gather
baseline information for the Lake District National Park
c) Consult – The Partnership and other partners have agreed that this is a priority
project and are supporting the project with cash and staff time.
d) Compete – We aim to be a leader in climate change work. The results will be of
national interest to inform other National Parks and upland areas. The project aims
to make the Lake District more competitive as a place to invest in carbon friendly
land management.
7 FINANCE CONSIDERATIONS
7.1 If successful with the funding applications for the Carbon Landscapes Project we will
be responsible for the spending of £1,722,000 over a five-year period. The Carbon
Landscapes Project Manager will have a key role in administering, monitoring and
managing the project budget.
7.2 As accountable body the Authority will be liable to the funders for delivery of the
project, proper application of grant funds and compliance with grant conditions. The
Authority must ensure that the funding provided, together with any funding agreed to
be provided by the Authority and other partners, is sufficient to meet all project costs,
including the winding up of the project and termination of employment contracts at
the completion of the project.
7.3 The £43,000 cash contribution from the Authority will need to be funded from our
future revenue budgets or our bids match funding reserve.

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Authority: 23 February 2011 Page 4
8 RISK
8.1 We have identified the following risks of being the accountable body and the controls
we can implement to lower the risks:
Id Risk Consequence Controls required
R1 The project fails to meet
its objectives or breaks
funding rules leading to
withholding of funding
Burden of costs borne by
Authority
Appointment of
appropriately skilled
project manager and use
project management
R2
Additional burden of
project on finance team
9 LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS
Finance team divert
resources from other
work increasing risk
elsewhere
methodology
Finance Team will give
appropriate training and
access to systems to the
Project Manager to
enable them to manage
project budget, make
grant claims and report
on finances.
9.1 Under the terms of the funding agreement the Authority will employ one full time
Project Manager. The Authority will be responsible for any costs arising from such
employment. This will carry additional risk in terms of potential claims arising from
such employment, including the termination of such contracts of employment.
9.2 As Accountable body the Authority will be legally liable if any part of the grant is
clawed back by the funder. This is referred to in risk table above.
10 HUMAN RESOURCES
10.1 The Carbon Landscapes Project would be employing one full-time Project Manager.
There will also be a low level of other staff input, mainly from the Environment and
Heritage Service, the Communications Team, the Volunteer Coordinator, the Learning
and Events Team and Corporate Services, which would need to be agreed in future
Service Plans.
10.2 The Authority would have liability for any redundancy costs from termination of
employment of the Project Manager if the employee has two year’s or more eligible
continuous service. These costs will be built in to the project budget.
11 DIVERSITY IMPLICATIONS
11.1
a) Is this issue/item you are presenting to the Committee, of high, medium or low
relevance to diversity issues? - Low
b) To which diversity issues is your issue/item especially relevant? (race,
disability, gender, age, religion and faith, sexual orientation or rural and social
deprivation). - None
c) Is there any evidence from the past, that this issue/item, may have had an adverse
impact/effect, on particular groups of people locally or nationally? - No
d) Does your paper/proposal address any impact identified? - Not applicable

Lake District National Park Authority Agenda Item: 10
Authority: 23 February 2011 Page 5
12 SUSTAINABILITY
12.1 The objective of this project is to generate evidence and engage people in a way that
will enable the Lake District landscape to be managed in a way that will help it to adapt
to and mitigate against climate change.
Background Papers None
Author/Post
Andrew Herbert - Head of Environment and Heritage
Date Written 9 February 2011

Lake District National Park Authority Agenda Item: 10
Authority: 23 February 2011 Annex 1
ANNEX 1: