Sites of Special Scientific Interest

• There are 985 SSSIs in the South West – almost 25% of the total designated in England.
• 89.91% of all SSSIs in the South West were meeting the PSA target condition in March 2010, up from 86.19% in 2009. 

SSSIs are the country's very best wildlife and geographical sites. They include some of the most spectacular and beautiful habitats; wetlands teeming with wading birds, winding chalk rivers, flower-rich meadows, windswept shingle beaches and remote upland peat bogs.

There are over 4,000 Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) in England, covering around 7% of the country's land area. More than 70% of these sites, (by area) are internationally important for their wildlife, and designated as Special Areas of Conservation (SACs), Special Protection Areas (SPAs) or Ramsar sites. Many SSSIs are also National Nature Reserves (NNRs) or Local Nature Reserves (LNRs).

Natural England are the lead organisation in the protection of SSSIs.

As of March 2010  there were 985 SSSIs in the South West – almost 24% of the 4,118 total designated in England.  These SSSIs are relatively well spread out throughout the region and cover over 200,000 ha of land.

Natural England is charged with bringing 95% of all SSSIs into favourable condition by 2010 through our advice and grant funding to land managers.

The latest data for March 2010 shows 89.91% of SSSIs in the region are currently meeting the PSA target condition, an increase from almost 68% in 2003.

Wiltshire had the highest percentage area of sites meeting the PSA target in the South West with 96.99%. The lowest amount meeting the PSA target in 2010 was in Dorset with 78.85%.  (Source :Natural England)

• Natural England SSSI homepage

• Find details of a SSSI

• SSSI condition data