Page 11 - Wildlife News Dec 2017

Why we need an Environment Act
A new Environment Act that makes sure good intentions for
nature are actually realised is essential if the Government,
The Wildlife Trusts and other conservation organisations are
going to stem the decline in biodiversity. It will also ensure that
withdrawal from the EU doesn’t open the door to watered-down
legal protections for wildlife.
Back in 2011 the coalition Government aspired to lead the
first generation to improve the natural environment. Recent
successive Governments have worked on two parallel 25-year
plans, one for the natural environment and the other for food
and farming. The obvious danger of two plans that ignored each
other or, even worse, were contradictory, has now been taken
on board by the Environment Secretary, Michael Gove, and in a
move we very much welcome he has announced there will be a
single, integrated plan.
There’s hope that one long-term plan for the environment
is taking the right approach to produce real solutions to the
biodiversity crisis in the countryside, but it will need real teeth if friendly action, we know from the State of Nature Report 2016
it is to be successful.
Of course what’s in the plan will be much more important
than the structure. Although we understand that developing the
plan is a key priority in Defra, we won’t know anything about its
actual contents until the end of this year, at the earliest.
Recommended approach
We were pleased to see Mr Gove asking advice on the scope
of the plan from the Natural Capital Committee, chaired by
BBOWT’s Honorary Vice President Dieter Helm. The Natural
Capital Committee’s TEunWtrvonlhiorftaiooontnkdmpmlaioikegguenhet?tt1Aa4nct
report, delivered at the
end of September,
provides a welcome set
of approaches that would,
if they are taken up in the
plan, make a significant
contribution to turning the tide of wildlife losses.
The decline in biodiversity in the countryside has continued
unabated since detailed monitoring began in the 1970s. In
spite of significant actions, such as agri-environment schemes
that compensated land managers for taking environmentally-
that, overall, nature is progressively declining in the countryside.
The causes are complex, including changing land management
and increasing urbanisation, underpinned by historic losses of
wildlife-rich habitat, so that in our region less than 3% of land is
now considered worthy of national protection.
Among the Natural Capital Committee’s report’s key
recommendations is a comprehensive state of the
environment report and opportunities for its improvement,
to be completed by the end of 2019 leading to reviews
every five years, with the plan underpinned by a new Act of
Parliament.
It is likely that the Government’s 25-year plan for the
environment will be issued for consultation late this year
or early in 2018. BBOWT will be engaging positively with
this consultation to ensure there is the right level of
support and protection for wildlife.
Like many species 2h0ig1h6l,itghhetetudritnlethdeovSetaitseinofdNecaltiunree.
Report
(AMY LEWIS)
Wildlife news / December 2017 11