Conservation
Management Plans

In 1985 the KWCA won a national conservation award for its work in management planning. This work was carried out in consultation with the BASC and the then Nature Conservancy Council (NCC - now Natural England) in recognition of the fact that hitherto wildfowlers had not been documenting their approach to wildfowling and conservation. Added to that the change of name form KWA to KWCA in 1983 underpinned the Association's recognition that in the post-Wildlife and Countryside Act wildfowling world there was the need to take a more structured approach to the administration of the sport.

Wildfowlers had historically taken a responsible and at times leading attitude to conservation, but this needed capturing in print. The KWCA began management plan work. It produced generic management plans to record the types of habitats and species encountered in North Kent, and also to explain the Association's approach to wildfowling over the areas controlled and how these two aspects linked together. This generic management planning work was to form the basis for all subsequent management plans produced by the Association, underpinned future wildfowling regimes, and provided the evidence needed for acquiring Notices of Consent for Association activities.

Subsequently the KWCA has produced site-specific management plans for all areas of Crown foreshore under its control. Also for its land at Cooling - upon which NCC grant aid and subsequent site management was based - for its land at Spring Grove, for saltmarshes in the Medway and areas of the Thames marshes.

Management of land is always underpinned by the production of a detailed management plan to guide site work and against which such work can be monitored. Typically the management plan format will be as follows: An Introduction to North Kent and wildfowling Site Information - including detailed site description/constraints/current usage and usage of adjacent sites The KWCA - history/land holdings and leases Detailed management proposals - the prescriptive part of the plan - to include background information in terms of current usage/future management for shooting and conservation/refuge areas/wardening and monitoring Wildfowling In An Estuary Context Review Budget Appendices - to include Site Map/relevant extracts from Acts of Parliament/KWCA Rules/Wildfowler's Code/SSSI notification/any bag returns and count data/waterfowl shooting and severe weather/non-toxic shot regulations/BASC insurance information.

The management planning process is now used as a mechanism to lever in additional land for the Association, to manage existing land and to demonstrate to the wider, non-wildfowling, world that the sport is being carried out in a responsible and sustainable manner."