– The Independent has come back to the subject of NE’s treatment by the coalition government and the need for an independent voice for nature – and this blog even gets a mention
– do remember to go out and buy Birdwatch – if only to read everything else in it other than my first column as the Political Birder
– and just to prove that some farmers like me, see this mention of Blogging for Nature by local farmer Duncan Farrington – that reminds me, I must get some more of his delicious mellow yellow mayonnaise
– tomorrow’s blog returns to NGOs – but with a sporting twist
– I’m still hearing lots of chiffchaffs – is it just me?
– Monday’s blog – The Tangled Bank – is my most-read blog and has attracted a lot of excellent comments. Do go back and have a look – and do add your own comment – please. I’m fascinated by the views expressed. And I will return to this subject on Monday next week
– and also coming next week – I will return to the Dogger Bank question
– I wasn’t overly impressed by David Cameron’s letter to the National Trust. He mentions green belt, AONBs and National Parks but not a mention of wildlife and not a mention of SSSIs. And No10 described this as a clarification not a climb down – it’s almost as if they were saying that nothing has changed. And I get the impression that a whole bunch of wildlife/landscape organisations aren’t that impressed by it either. Their letter in the Telegraph says to me – we hear what you say but we want proper talks, we want you to back down and we want the public to tell you to back down over the presumption in favour of development. I think that’s what they are saying and I hope it is – and I hope they stick together on this matter too.
– I had a nice experience today, someone stopped me where I am doing some work and said that he’d read every one of my blogs from my trip across the USA and really enjoyed them. It’s, obviously, really nice to get feedback of that sort. At that time I didn’t have the system set up to tell me how many people are reading this blog – but now I know there are thousands of you out there! You are all welcome and you are also welcome to make polite comments on the blogs – please do, and you don’t have to agree with me.
– here’s an example of a bunch of people who don’t always agree with me
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As far as the gagging of the agencies is concerned what has not been mentioned is the loss of so many excellent members of staff that have been lost as a result of cuts. As often happens when redundancy is offered it is the most experienced individuals which put their hands up.
I know as friends quite a few who have gone recently and the bitterness that exists between them, the Government and the agencies is enormous. It is an outrageous waste of talent paid for and nurtured by our taxes.
The NGO’s must remind Government of these points at every opportunity.
I think its the message, not the organisations or the people that we should be thinking about – and where would the messiah come from anyway ? Look at the forestry panel – the usual suspects who, having jumped the wrong way in the first place instead of stopping and thinking are now laying into the Forestry Commission, effectively beating up the vicitim ! Where’s the leadership and logic in that ? Instead of trying to explain away the FC’s unexpected popularity maybe a little time spent thinking about how it went from environmental pariah to hero would be worthwhile – and especially looking carefully at its multi-purpose management within which could be the route to a new direction where we combine environmental values to optimise a whole range of outputs from less intensively, wildlife rich landscapes.