• they prioritise species and habitats in need of actionthey set targets to be achieved by certain dates
• they list actions needed to meet these targets and assign them to organisations.

This was the first BAP to be produced in Britain and was pioneered by the RSPB and other voluntary organisations. It has had a great deal of influence on government thinking and been outstandingly successful in raising awareness and stimulating action.  

Many of the habitats and species included in the national plan do not occur in Leicestershire. But several of the habitat action plans in the Leicestershire BAP, such as wet woodland and mesotrophic lakes, are the same as national priority habitats.

There is no East Midlands BAP, but the East Midlands Biodiversity Forum co-ordinates local BAP's in the region and other initiatives. They have worked closely with regional organisations such as the East Midlands Regional Chamber, to produce biodiversity targets and indicators for the region as a whole.

The Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland BAP,

produced in 1998 contains action plans for eighteen priority habitats and also fourteen species action plans all listed below. The emphasis is on protecting habitats which support lots of threatened plants and animals.

Priority Habitats	Priority Species
Heath-grassland Hedgerows Mature Trees Calcareous grassland Neutral grassland Field margins Floodplain wetland Reedbeds Mesotrophic lakes Fast-flowing streams Sphagnum ponds Springs and flushes Field ponds Rocks and built structures Wet woodland Sessile oakwood Roadside verges Lowland wood pasture and parkland	Otter Dormouse Water vole Bats Barn owl Redstart Nightingale Sand martin Black hairstreak White-clawed crayfish Black poplar Violet helleborine Wood vetch Purple small-reed

The first annual report (1999) listed eighteen major achievements including heathland creation, restoration projects and a survey of mature trees by community groups across Leicestershire and Rutland. It is possible to contribute to the BAP in several ways including:

• surveys of priority species and habitats
• practical management projects.

The National Forest BAP covers the National Forest area, which extends into Derbyshire and Staffordshire. Many of the priority habitats and species are similar to the Leicestershire BAP, but also include further species such as the bluebell.