The Environmentally Sensitive Areas were introduced in 1987 to offer incentives to encourage farmers to adopt agricultural practices which would safeguard and enhance parts of the country of particularly high landscape, wildlife or historic value. The scheme has now closed to new applicants. Defra introduced a new Environmental Stewardship Scheme on 3 March 2005 which supersedes (with enhancements) the Environmentally Sensitive Areas and Countryside Stewardship Schemes. There are 22 ESAs in England, covering some 10% of agricultural land.

More information about the ESAs can be viewed here.Full metadata can be viewed on data.gov.uk.

Environmentally Sensitive Areas as declared in Environmental Protection (Environmentally Sensitive Areas) Notice 2005, Government Gazette No. 55. This dataset is provided to assist landowners and managers in determining the location of environmentally sensitive areas under the Environmental Protection Act 1986. It is not a substitute for any requirement of the legislation. Those seeking further information should contact the data custodian. The ESA data was originally produced by Department of Water (D0W), completed at 30/05/2005. Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) produced a new ESA data set to amend errors in the ESA data set. The custodian of the Environmentally Sensitive Areas dataset is now the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation. For further information contact Clearing Regulation Branch (08) 9333 7510. This dataset was formerly known as Clearing Regulations - Environmentally Sensitive Areas (DER-016)

This polygon dataset is composed of subsets from Fairfax County’s current soil inventory, recorded floodplain, and Resource Protection Area (RPAs) layers. Layer subsets are identified using the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) definition/criteria for “environmentally sensitive sites”in 4VAC50-85-10 and merged into a single ESA polygon layer.

This data set comprises the Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) maps for the shoreline of San Francisco Bay. ESI data characterize estuarine environments and wildlife by their sensitivity to spilled oil. The ESI data include information for three main components: shoreline habitats; sensitive biological resources; and human-use resources. This atlas was developed to be utilized within desktop GIS systems and contains GIS files and related D-base files. Associated files include MOSS (Multiple Overlay Statistical System) export files, .PDF maps, and detailed user guides and metadata. A later version of these data was released in March 2007 and is filed under NODC accession number 0036884.

Environmentally sensitive areas value map.More Information:ESA Mapping Study

description: Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) maps are an integral component in oil-spill contingency planning and assessment. They serve as a source of information in the event of an oil spill incident. ESI maps are a product of the Hazardous Materials Response Division of the Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R).ESI maps contain three types of information: shoreline habitats (classified according to their sensitivity to oiling), human-use resources, and sensitive biological resources. Most often, this information is plotted on 7.5 minute USGS quadrangles, although in Alaska, USGS topographic maps at scales of 1:63,360 and 1:250,000 are used, and in other atlases, NOAA charts have been used as the base map. Collections of these maps, grouped by state or a logical geographic area, are published as ESI atlases. Digital data have been published for most of the U.S. shoreline, including Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico.; abstract: Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) maps are an integral component in oil-spill contingency planning and assessment. They serve as a source of information in the event of an oil spill incident. ESI maps are a product of the Hazardous Materials Response Division of the Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R).ESI maps contain three types of information: shoreline habitats (classified according to their sensitivity to oiling), human-use resources, and sensitive biological resources. Most often, this information is plotted on 7.5 minute USGS quadrangles, although in Alaska, USGS topographic maps at scales of 1:63,360 and 1:250,000 are used, and in other atlases, NOAA charts have been used as the base map. Collections of these maps, grouped by state or a logical geographic area, are published as ESI atlases. Digital data have been published for most of the U.S. shoreline, including Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico.

This collection comprises the Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) data for various regions in U.S. coastal waters. ESI data characterize estuarine environments and wildlife by their sensitivity to spilled oil. The ESI data include information for three main components: shoreline habitats, sensitive biological resources, and human-use resources. This atlas was developed to be utilized within desktop GIS systems and contains GIS files and related D-base files. Associated files include MOSS (Multiple Overlay Statistical System) export files, .PDF maps, and detailed user guides and metadata.

Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESAs) were identified as areas of the countryside where the landscape, wildlife or historic interest is of national importance and where these environmental features can be affected by farming operations. Features such as hedges, walls, ditches, field barns, hay meadows, heather moorland and river valley grasslands have been created by traditional farming methods over hundreds of years and are highly valued, both for their scenic beauty and for the habitats they provide for plants and wildlife. The ESA Scheme was designed to promote agriculture practices which have helped create these distinctive landscapes and have contributed to the maintenance of wildlife habitats or historic features. Introduced in 1987, the scheme formed part of the Scottish Agri-Environment Programme which was required to meet the UK Government's obligations under the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP). The scheme allowed farmers and crofters within designated areas to have access to payments to sustain or adopt environmentally-friendly farming practices. Participation by farmers and crofters in the Scheme was voluntary. The scheme is no longer active and has been superseded by the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS) of the Scottish Rural Development Programme. It should be noted that ESAs are not a national landscape and/or nature conservation designation. ESAs have no planning status and therefore cannot be used as a reason for refusing planning applications.

This GIS data set comprises a portion of the Gulf-Wide Information System (G-WIS) database for the entire coastal zone of Florida and the lower St. Johns River. These data characterize coastal environments and wildlife resources for environmental planning and natural resource management purposes. The G-WIS data include three main components: Shoreline habitats, sensitive biological resources, and human-use resources. This data set contains the information for INDEX (GT-Polygon).

The layer Environmentally Sensitive Policy Areas (ROP15_EnvSensitivePolicyArea) is a component of Map 4 (Greenlands Network) of the Regional Official Plan (ROP) as adopted by Council on June 16, 2009, and approved by the Ontario Municipal Board on June 18, 2015 . Environmentally Sensitive Policy Areas are regionally significant natural areas that comprise: (a) Provincially significant Life Science Areas of Natural and Scientific Interest, regionally significant Life Science Areas of Natural and Scientific Interest, or provincially significant Earth Science Areas of Natural and Scientific Interest; or (b) At least two of the following criteria: i) comprise ecological communities deemed unusual, of outstanding quality or particularly representative regionally, provincially or nationally; ii) contain critical habitats which are uncommon or remnants of once extensive habitats such as old growth forest, forest interior habitat, Carolinian forest, prairie-savanna, alvars, cliffs, bogs, fens, marl meadows, and cold water streams; iii) provide a large area of natural habitat of at least 20 hectares which affords habitat to species intolerant of human intrusion; or iv) provide habitat for organisms native to the region recognized as regionally, provincially or nationally significant; or (c) fulfill one of the criteria in Policy 7.C.5(b) and any two of the following: i) contain an unusual diversity of native life forms due to varied topography, microclimates, soils and/or drainage regimes; ii) perform a vital ecological function such as maintaining the hydrological balance over a widespread area by acting as a natural water storage, discharge or recharge area; iii) provide a linking system of relatively undisturbed forest or other natural habitat for the movement of wildlife over a considerable distance; iv) serve as major migratory stop-over or significant over-wintering habitat; or v) contain landforms deemed unusual or particularly representative at the regional scale.

There are three main components to the ESI: shoreline habitats, sensitive biological resources, and human-use resources. The shoreline and intertidal areas are ranked based on sensitivity determined by: (1) Shoreline type (substrate, grain size, tidal elevation, origin); (2) Exposure to wave and tidal energy; (3) Biological productivity and sensitivity; and (4) Ease of cleanup. The biology layers focus on threatened/endangered species, areas of high concentration and areas where sensitive life stages may occur. Supporting data tables provide species/location-specific abundance, seasonality, status, life history, and source information Human use resources mapped include managed areas (parks, refuges, critical habitats, etc) and resources that may be impacted by oiling and/or clean-up, such as beaches, archaeological sites marinas etc. ESIs are available for the majority of the US coastline, as well as the US territories. ESI data are available in a variety of GIS formats as well as PDF maps. For more information or to download complete ESI data sets go to: http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/esi
For information specific to the Southern California ESI data go to: http://nosdataexplorer.noaa.gov/NOSDataExplorer/rest/find/document?searchText=esi%20AND%20southern%20AND%20california&start=1&max=100&f=georss&dojo.preventCache=1342461369958 The Southern California ESI data was compiled in 2010.

The dataset shows areas that are environmentally sensitive due to the presence of native and nationally protected wildlife species. The areas are classified from low (0) to high (1) risk.

Environmentally Sensitive Areas, Harford County, Maryland - PDF Map

Click "Data Source" to download PDF map.

Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) data characterize the marine and coastal environments and wildlife based on sensitivity to spilled oil. Coastal species that are listed as threatened, endangered, or as a species of concern, by either federal or state governments, are a primary focus. A subset of the ESI data, the ESI Threatened and Endangered Species (T&E) databases focus strictly on these species. Species are mapped individually. In addition to showing spatial extent, each species polygon, point, or line has attributes describing abundance, seasonality, threatened/endangered status, and life history. Both the state and federal status is provided, along with the year the ESI data were published. This is important, as the status of a species can vary over time. As always, the ESI data are a snapshot in time. The biology layers focus on threatened/endangered status, areas of high concentration, and areas where sensitive life stages may occur. Supporting data tables provide species-/location-specific abundance, seasonality, status, life history, and source information. Human-use resources mapped include managed areas (parks, refuges, critical habitats, etc.) and resources that may be impacted by oiling and/or cleanup, such as beaches, archaeological sites, marinas, etc. ESIs are available for the majority of the US coastline, as well as the US territories. ESI data are available as PDF maps, as well as in a variety of GIS formats. For more information, go to http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/esi . To download complete ESI data sets, go to http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/esi_download .

Currently, the most widely used approach to sensitive environment mapping in the United States is the NOAA Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI). This approach systematically compiles information in standard formats for coastal shoreline sensitivity, biological resources, and human-use resources. ESI maps are useful for identifying sensitive resources before a spill occurs so that protection priorities can be established and cleanup strategies designed in advance. Using ESIs in spill response and planning reduces the environmental consequences of the spill and cleanup efforts. NOAA has undertaken a wide-ranging program to promote open ESI standards and to develop digital ESI databases for high-priority coastal areas in partnerships with states and other Federal agencies. NOTE: MAPS ARE NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATIONAL PURPOSESThis ESI Atlas Puerto Rico Maps and Geographic Systems Data contains geographic shape files (ArcView 3.x project and supporting shape and .dbf files) of the locale and identified sensitive areas and biota. Accompanying detailed Adobe Acrobat .PDF ESI maps, extensive metadata, a user guide, and files in MOSS (Map Overlay and Statistical System) format are also provided.

This data set contains management area data for National Wildlife Refuges in the Aleutian Islands, Alaska. Vector polygons in this data set represent management areas. Location-specific type and source information are stored in relational data tables (described below) designed to be used in conjunction with this spatial data layer.This data set comprises a portion of the Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) data for Aleutians East Borough and Aleutians West Coastal Resource Service Area (CRSA). These data identify the marine and coastal environments and wildlife. The ESI data include information for three main components: shoreline habitats, sensitive biological resources, and human-use resources. See also the SOCECON (Socioeconomic Resource Points and Lines) data layer, part of the larger Aleutians East/Aleutians West ESI database, for additional human-use information.

This vector dataset depicts the Environmentally Sensitive Area boundary lines, digitized from 1:50,000 paper maps in 1990.

Users outside of the Spatial NI Portal please use Resource Locator 2.

The maps contain three general types of information such as: 1. Classification of the coastal strip - type of coast ( structure, bias, grainulometric structure of deposits, etc.), ranking of the types of substratum on a degree of oil penetration into the depth of deposits, energy loading (intensity of wave and tidal activity), natural stability to oil, ease of cleaning up; 2. Information on biological resources - biological productivity of coast site, specific structure of flora and fauna of the shore strip and sea water areas, sensitivity to oil pollution; areas of distribution, inhabiting, nesting and spawning; 3. Information on anthropogenous use - Areas of the coastal strip having the status of nature protection territories, places and objects of cultural, historical and archeological value, and also beaches, parks, water intakes, objects of household activities, etc.

Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) maps are an integral component in oil-spill contingency planning and assessment. They serve as a source of information in the event of an oil spill incident. ESI maps contain three types of information: shoreline habitats (classified according to their sensitivity to oiling), sensitive biological resources, and human-use resources. Most often, this information is plotted on 7.5 minute U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) quadrangles, although in the Alaska ESI maps, USGS topographic maps at scales of 1:63,360 and 1:250,000 are used, and in other ESI maps, NOAA charts have been used as the base map. Collections of these maps, grouped by state or a logical geographic area, are published as ESI atlases. Digital data have been published for most of the U.S. shoreline, including Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico.

Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) maps are an integral component in oil-spill contingency planning and assessment. They serve as a source of information in the event of an oil spill incident. ESI maps contain three types of information: shoreline habitats (classified according to their sensitivity to oiling), sensitive biological resources, and human-use resources. Most often, this information is plotted on 7.5 minute U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) quadrangles, although in the Alaska ESI maps, USGS topographic maps at scales of 1:63,360 and 1:250,000 are used, and in other ESI maps, NOAA charts have been used as the base map. Collections of these maps, grouped by state or a logical geographic area, are published as ESI atlases. Digital data have been published for most of the U.S. shoreline, including Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico.