S.L. 549.64 Art. 5Criteria for selection of important sites. S.L. 445.02

The competent authority shall compile and where appropriate update a list of important sites that:

(a) contain representative types of Maltese woodland communities; or

(b) contain woodland and forest communities which are in danger of disappearing in their natural area of distribution; or

(c) contain woodland and forest communities which have a reduced natural area of distribution as a consequence of their natural or man-induced regression or on account of their intrinsically restricted area; or

(d) contain woodland habitats critical to the survival, reproduction and recovery of endangered, threatened or endemic species of flora or fauna; or

(e) contain a single individual tree or a specified group of trees or a woodland of aesthetic, historical, cultural, arboricultural, scientific, educational or landscape interest; or

(f) include trees that in the competent authority’s opinion are prominent landmark trees of particular relevance to the character of the site; or

(g) contain rare, threatened or endangered tree species with a restricted distribution in Malta; or

(h) are woodland and forest communities of particular importance because of their scientific, ecological, biodiversity, biogeographical, scientific, cultural or landscape or educational interest; or

(i) contain historical trees having an antiquarian importance listed in the List of Historical Trees having an Antiquarian Importance Order; or

(j) contain live collections of rare, threatened or ex situ endangered trees; or

(k) in the competent authority’s opinion contain similarly relevant features for protection that are not listed above.