I am very much amused to hear that the daily media summary received by NE board members ends with an item on ‘Mark Avery’s blog’. It’s good to know that they all get a daily reminder of what’s happening in the world from a reliable source.
To save time and effort for the staff involved, here is an item to cut and paste into today’s summary: ‘Mark Avery will be blogging next week on the failure of NE to progress the notification of the West Pennine Moors as an SSSI‘.’.
[registration_form]
Next time they need a Chair you should apply.
Absolutely right Mark. I am afraid NE has been so manipulated, contorted, and shrunk by certain sections of this Government over its term in office, that it is now hardly recogonisable as an organisation that should be first and foremost an organisation designed to protect and advance nature.
On NE’s publications website right now are a series of ‘Evidence Reviews’, all dated 2015.
http://publications.naturalengland.org.uk/
See section 5 in their ‘Biodiversity Evidence Review’ for these nuggets – all quotable right back at their Board.
Protected areas form a critical part of nature conservation approaches around the world, on land and at sea and there is increasing evidence that they deliver significant benefits to wildlife and people
In total, there are just over 4100 SSSIs, covering about 8% of England.
The proportion of the UK’s terrestrial area covered by SACs and SPAs is the lowest in Europe (the European average is 17.5% compared with 4.9% for England; European Commission 2010 and Natural England data).
So, there alot of catching up to do – all sites that meet the SSSI criteria need to be designated, as soon as possible – including areas that are currently poorly managed.
Ah, so the best way to encourage better outcomes from NE will via strategic pieces in your blog, Mark?
{Muauhahahahahahahahhahaha} Ahem, do you do requests?
Not that it’s England but it might be fun and indeed useful to contrast the announcement of the rather fine Well-being of Future Generations Bill (or at least for future generations in Wales) [As usual those in England will have to wait until something as radical as ‘well-being’ has been tested on the inhabitants of one of the Provinces] with the handling of the M4 ‘Black Motorway’ extension which threatens to destroy the Gwent Levels. But hey, it’ll knock minutes off the journey time to visit the Gwent Levels. Oh, wait a minute…
And then there’s the state of the UK’s rivers being (in the main) not ‘good’. Good being a technical definition under the Water Framework Directive that is really not that good at all anyway. 2016 is the first target date for reporting against. Will the UK be able to bask in the light of its success in improving the ecological condition of our still and flowing waters or not. Will there be penalties from the EU (and will they be used to deliver improvements)?
Of course, next year’s administration can blame it on the previous lot. The Freshwater Habitats Trust would probably like to comment and it would be interesting to hear from Prof Brian Moss too. I suspect that on that day, the EA would also be reviewing a summary of the Avery blog.
And, congratulations on reaching the parts….
One area where the private sector does better than the public is that shareholders rarely set out to intentionally destroy their business – but that is precisely the tactics of this Government towards bodies like NE – degrade by cutting and undermining then, they hope, destroy easily because inevitably the body has become unpopular. But – led by the NHS – it doesn’t seem to be working – generation after generation politicians make the same mistake of thinking voters are stupid, and no more so than the out of touch, superior Conservatives of today. We shouldn’t be trying to ‘save’ NE, though it sorely needs all the support we can give it (and that includes slamming some of the things it is being forced to do, or more often, not do) – we should be fighting for something much bigger – a new Department of the Environment to deliver the Wellbeing Bill – and really take quality of life and environment and the threats from climate change to the central position they must have if this nation is to thrive.
Sadly NE are beyond effort, they have allowed themselves to become part of the problem, any rare species remaining are being predated by the politically aspiring civil servant managers within the organisation? We should end the misery in a humane manner? Then a stronger, not a recycled organisation, might make a difference?
Independence would be ideal, ever an agnostic but generally the funder dictates the tune and the tempo? A ‘conservation community’ written constituation perhaps?
Sadly too, the larger grant dependent NGOs / quasi quangoes seem to be running scared for fear of loss of funding so they aren’t too vociferous, look at the aftermath of the State of Nature? Lord de Mauley quoting NE CEO hitting target of no loss etc. 2020: a good April Fool’s day jest?
If there is a mess post 7 May, then perhaps the environment might feature higher on the political agenda? A ‘conservation party’ perhaps …. potential candidates stepped up to the ‘mark’ recently at the BAWC Conference #HaveYouSeenHenry?