The environment of the Highlands and Islands is a vital resource for the area’s residents and businesses. It also contains wildlife and scenery that are recognised throughout the world. During 2006/07 HIE undertook its first Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA). This work ensures the environmental consequences of our activity are identified and assessed during our annual planning process. The SEA also helps identify what we can do to reduce negative impacts.  

This page describes the various documents and reports that are produced through the SEA process.  

The scoping report identifies the range of impacts and the data used to gauge them. This is submitted to the Consultation Authorities (Historic Scotland, Scottish Environmental Protection Agency and Scottish Natural Heritage) for their comments and helps inform the subsequent environmental report.  A copy of the scoping report in Adobe Reader PDF Format can be downloaded from the list of documents on the right.

The environmental report provides detailed information about the likely significant impacts of implementing the organisation's  draft operating plan.  Views were sought on both these documents during the consultation period which ran from 8th December 2006 to 26th January 2007.  A copy of the complete environmental report, a shorter version without appendices and a copy of the draft operating plan in Adobe Reader PDF Format can be downloaded from the list of documents on the right.

We developed a questionnaire to collect your views during the consultation.  A copy of the questionnaire can be accessed in Adobe Reader PDF Format and word can be downloaded from the list of documents on the right. 

Comments submitted during the consultation were collated and informed our revised operating plan.   

The final stage in the SEA process will be the production of a statement identifying how the environmental report and views expressed on it during the consultation exercise were taken into account.   A copy of the post-adoption SEA statement in Adobe Reader PDF Format can be downloaded from the list of documents on the right.

Thanks to all who submitted their views.