International Wildlife Sites

These include Special Areas of Conservation, Special Protection Areas and Ramsar sites. They are identified under various European Community Directives and international conventions. English Nature carries out consultations in respect of the identification of these sites, on behalf of the DEFRA.

**International Designations in Lancashire**
Designation	Explanation	UK Statutory Designation
Ramsar site	Listed under the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance signed at Ramsar, Iran, in 1971.	SSSI
Special Protection Areas (SPAs)	Classified under the European Community Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds (1979).	SSSI; SPA
Special Areas of Conservation (SACs)	To be designated under the European Community Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Flora and Fauna (the Habitats Directive) (1992).	SSSI; SAC

**Internationally Important Sites In Lancashire**
Site	Designations	Other Status in Lancashire
Bowland Fells	SSSI, SPA
Calf Hill and Cragg Woods	SSSI, SAC
Leighton Moss	SSSI, Ramsar site, SPA	RSPB reserve
Martin Mere	SSSI, Ramsar site, SPA	Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust reserve
Morecambe Bay	SSSI, Ramsar site, SPA, SAC (part only)	Includes RSPB Morecambe Bay reserve
Morecambe Bay Pavements	SSSI, SAC	Limestone Pavement Orders
North Pennine Dales and Meadows	SSSI, SAC
Ribble and Alt Esturies	SSSI, Ramsar Site, SPA	Includes Ribble Marshes National Nature Reserve
South Pennine Moors	SSSI, SPA, SAC

Location Map of Internationally Important Sites

(103kb PDF)