Geology Reference
In-Depth Information
Fig. 4
Examples of nationally-important earth geological sites of
special scientic interest in Britain.
a
Unconformity at Siccar Point,
Scotland (Hutton
1788
,
1795
);
b
Mylonite along the Moine Thrust,
Scotland (Lapworth
1885
);
c
Old Red Sandstone stratigraphy toward
St. Johns Head, Orkney Islands, Scotland (Barclay et al.
2005
);
d
Purbeck fossil forest (Isle of Purbeck east of Lulworth Cove on the in
Dorset, England) (Buckland and de la Beche
1836
)
becoming involved in the conservation debate. The National
Scheme for Geological Site Documentation (NSGSD) was
founded in 1977, and assumed a complementary role to the
GCR. The NSGSD was organised on a county basis and
promoted the establishment of local geological records cen-
tres, usually operated by museum-based geological curators
supported by volunteer
generations for investigation, education, and enjoyment.
Also in 1987, the British Institute for Geological Conser-
vation was founded to accommodate the views of the diverse
geological interest groups. This institute was a new, inde-
pendent body whose sole concern was geological site con-
servation (Cleal
1994
).
One of the last major achievements of the Nature Con-
servancy Council, before it was subdivided, came in 1990
with the publication of
A handbook of Earth science con-
servation techniques
and
Earth science conservation in
Great Britain
eld workers. By 1990, some 18,000
sites had been documented in 55 record centres across Britain
(Mason and Stanley
2001
).
By 1979, the Shropshire Wildlife Trust became the
rst
(of 47) County Wildlife Trusts to systematically identify and
protect natural history sites, including geological and geo-
morphological sites.
A strategy
, the latter publication providing
guidelines to direct the efforts and enthusiasm of geoheritage
interest groups towards active conservation in the Earth
sciences. Following a consultation process, this approach
and strategy represents a consensus of views from people
who utilise, or research, or own, or develop Earth Heritage
sites. Justi
—
It
is currently supported by some
10,500 members.
The year 1981 saw the enactment of the
Wildlife and
Countryside Act 1981
, which improved the previous struc-
ture for the effective conservation of Sites of Special Sci-
enti
cation for the conservation of Earth Heritage
sites lay primarily in four aims and six objectives.
The four aims of the Nature Conservancy Council strat-
egy are:
c Interest, and consolidated the importance of the
conservation of sites of geoheritage signicance in Scotland.
In 1987, the GeoConservation Commission was formed
to provide a forum to promote the conservation of Earth
Heritage, and to work towards ensuring that sites of geo-
heritage signi
a commitment to the conservation of our natural heritage,
whether it is wildlife, habitat, landform, or geological
feature,
cance are conserved and maintained for future
