‘Making space for
nature’: a review of england’s wildlife sites published today
News Release issued by
the COI News Distribution Service on 24 September 2010
An independent
review of England’s wildlife sites and the connections between
them was published today, with recommendations to help achieve a
healthy natural environment that will allow our plants and animals
to thrive.
Led by Professor Sir John Lawton, the review was set up to look
at our wildlife sites and whether they are capable of responding
and adapting to the growing challenges of climate change and other
demands on our land.
Welcoming the report, Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman said:
“I am extremely grateful to Professor Sir John Lawton and the
other panel members for their hard work in carrying out this
valuable review. Sir John Lawton is right to challenge us over
what it takes to address the loss of biodiversity but he is also
clear this cannot be done by Government alone. Everyone from
farmers, wildlife groups, landowners and individuals can play a
role in helping to create, manage and improve these areas, so if
ever there was a time for the Big Society to protect our natural
environment, this is it.
“We must work together to find innovative ways to protect and
enhance our wildlife habitats – particularly as we respond to the
growing threat of climate change. I will be calling for
international action in Nagoya next month as we look to set new
targets to tackle the decline in our natural environment, and we
will follow this through with the first Natural Environment White
Paper for 20 years in the UK.”
Launching the report, Professor Sir John Lawton said:
“There is compelling evidence that England’s collection of
wildlife sites are generally too small and too isolated, leading
to declines in many of England’s characteristic species. With
climate change, the situation is likely to get worse. This is bad
news for wildlife but also bad news for us, because the damage to
nature also means our natural environment is less able to provide
the many services upon which we depend. We need more space for
nature. Our 24 recommendations in this report call for action
which will benefit wildlife and people. They provide a repair
manual to help re-build nature.”
The report makes the following key points for establishing a
strong and connected natural environment:
· That we better protect and manage our designated wildlife sites;
· That we establish new Ecological Restoration Zones;
· That we better protect our non-designated wildlife sites;
· That Society’s need to maintain water-quality, manage inland
flooding, deal with coastal erosion and enhance carbon storage, if
thought about creatively, could help deliver a more effective
ecological network.
· We will not achieve a step-change in nature conservation in
England without society accepting it to be necessary, desirable
and achievable.
The report makes many recommendations and the Government response
will be included in the Natural Environment White Paper to be
published next year. Making Space for Nature will also help those
that wish to contribute to the White Paper discussion document by
the end of October to submit their ideas on what they want to see included.
Notes to Editors
A copy of the final report published today can be found at:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/biodiversity/index.htm
A copy of the Natural Environment White Paper discussion
document can be found at: www.defra.gov.uk/environment/natural/The
review was launched in September 2009 to look at England’s
collection of wildlife areas and whether they represent a robust
natural environment that is capable of responding and adapting to
the challenges of climate change and other pressures. Professor
Sir John Lawton is a British ecologist and chair of the Royal
Commission on Environmental Pollution. He was Demonstrator in
Ecology in the Department of Zoology at the University of Oxford
from 1968, moving to the University of York in 1971. In October
1999, he was appointed the Chief Executive of Natural Environment
Research Council (NERC), retaining an honorary professorship at
Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine. Following
his retirement from NERC in March 2005, he was appointed Chairman
of the Royal Commission on Environment Pollution from 1 April
2005, and was reappointed for a second three year term in 2008.
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Contacts:
Defra Press Office
Phone: 020 7238 6600
NDS.DEFRA@coi.gsi.gov.uk
Martin Deller
Phone: 020 7238 5334
martin.deller@defra.gsi.gov.uk