Wildlife Act, 1976

Nature reserves on land other than land to which section 15 applies.

16.—(1) Where a person who is the occupier of land satisfies the Minister that—

(a) the land includes a habitat or part of a habitat or an ecosystem described in paragraph (a) of section 15 (2) of this Act,

(b) the interest of the person in or over the land is such as to enable the person to establish and manage a nature reserve on the land, and

(c) the person can, in accordance with any conditions which the Minister sees fit to impose, use or manage the land so as to establish and maintain, or maintain, as may be appropriate, a nature reserve on the land,

then, subject to subsection (2) of this section, the Minister may, by order (in this Act referred to as a recognition order) recognise the land as a nature reserve and the recognition shall continue for so long as the order is in force.

(2) Before making a recognition order the Minister shall consult the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries, the Minister for Transport and Power, the Commissioners and any planning authority within whose area the land to which the proposed order relates, or any part of such land, is situate.

(3) A recognition order shall state the Minister's reason for recognising the land to which the order relates as a nature reserve and indicate the objectives for which the land is to be used or managed as a nature reserve.

(4) The Minister shall not revoke a recognition order unless he considers that—

(a) the objectives indicated in the order have not been attained or are not being properly maintained, or

(b) for any other reason, it is no longer appropriate for him to continue to recognise as a nature reserve, by virtue of the order, the land to which the order relates.

(5) The Minister shall, as soon as may be after it is made, cause a copy of an order under this section to be sent to the Commissioners, to the Board and to any planning authority within whose area the land to which the order relates, or any part of such land, is situate.