I’m grateful to Natural England for getting in touch today over the issue of medication of Red Grouse raised in Ruth Tingay’s Guest Blog of Monday. Here is what NE wrote: ‘In the recent guest contribution to your Blog, Dr Ruth Tingay asked for clarification from Natural England and Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) regarding the…
Category: THE STATUTORY AGENCIES: NE, EA, FE etc
Forest Enterprise Scotland position on toxic lead ammunition
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Forest Enterprise Scotland seem to be moving rather more slowly towards getting rid of toxic lead ammunition – although I get the impression that they are probably heading in the right direction. What do you think – this is what they sent me as a statement?: Forest Enterprise Scotland (FES) said: “Due to concerns regarding…
Forest Enterprise England to dump toxic ammunition
There is, of course, no need for anyone to wait for a legal ban on lead ammunition, or for Defra to stir themselves – they can just switch themselves. The legal move will sweep up the recalcitrant, the uninformed and the bloody minded and selfish. For example, the RSPB made the decision to drop lead…
Stody Estate fine confirmed
The Rural Payments Agency has just (30 minutes ago) confirmed the amount of penalty imposed on the Stody Estate – it’s €263,308.10 (which according to my currency converter app is £192,160.63). This differs from the figure estimated by raptorpersecutionscotland by a fair margin – perhaps they will be blogging about this later in the day…
Stody fine
The raptorpersecutionscotland blog is on a roll at the moment and yesterday disclosed the fact that the Stody Estate has been fined, probably three quarters of its single farm payment, for the Buzzard killing on its land revealed by the conviction of its former gamekeeper Allen Lambert. This is excellent news and shows how the…
Fineshade Wood
I’m glad that Forest Holidays have decided not to appeal the planning authoritiy’s decision not to permit a major habitat-destroying development in Fineshade Wood. But rumours are that a revised application is heading our way. It’s a pity that Forest Enterprise have not learned their lesson on this one, given that there is much to…
When will Natural England come clean on their (ie our) Hen Harrier study
Natural England has been carrying out a Hen Harrier study with radio-tagged and satellite-tagged Hen Harriers for years and years (since 2002 in fact). It formed part of the basis for the excellent NE report (A Future for Hen Harriers in England? which was published under a Labour government in 2008). Natural England has been…
Natural England opens consultation on controversial measure on rainy Bank Holiday Monday
Natural England would like your views on moving Water Voles for development purposes. This damn nature sure gets in the way, doesn’t it?
A better year for Hen Harriers in England – not a good year
The ‘government report’ mentioned in yesterday’s awful Telegraph misconstruction of a story has turned, as I said it would, into a Natural England press release (copied below)(Telegraph fail). And the criticism of the RSPB has turned into … well … nothing (Telegraph fail). It’s interesting that two of the successful nests are on FC land…
FoI Natural England
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Dear Natural England A few things for your attention please. 1. Yesterday I submitted an FoI request to you asking for all the records of, and documents related to, NE Board discussions on SSSI, SPA and SAC designation programmes, ‘gate zero’ and changes in strategy and approach. I look forward to seeing them soon or…