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Land management orders (LMOs)

What are LMOs?

Land management orders are a means to compel a land manager to carry out the land management needed to conserve, restore or enhance the protected natural features of a site of special scientific interest  or a Natura site (special protection area or special area of conservation).

Scottish Ministers may make an LMO following a proposal from SNH - and only after SNH has offered to enter in to a management agreement with the relevant land manager and the land manager has refused or failed to enter the agreement or has failed to carry-out the agreed work.  

Where a land manager is compelled to carry out management under an LMO, SNH will pay the land manager the value of the previously offered management agreement.  Should SNH need to carry out the work itself, it may then recover any additional costs (over the value of the offered management agreement) from the land manager.  The land manager would have rights of appeal to the Scottish Land Court.

LMOs may be used to enable SNH to carry out conservation work on SSSI and Natura sites where the land is unoccupied or after all reasonable efforts have failed to identify and contact the owner of the land.

Scottish Ministers may make LMOs under the provisions of chapter 3 (sections 29 to 37) of the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004 external site for SSSIs and under regulations 19 and 21 of the Conservation (Natural Habitats,&c) Regulations external site 1994 (as amended) for Natura sites.

Where are LMOs in force?

There are currently no LMOs in force (at 06 June 2011).