Alex Lees is a lecturer in biodiversity at Manchester Metropolitan University and lives in the Peak District. Twitter: @Alexander_Lees Towards a wilder future – an end to Peak pessimism? Story 1. Nearly three decades ago I visited mid Wales on a family holiday. It was a successful quest for…
Tag: hen harrier
Boris sneers at environmental protection
It was an interesting decision to choose Boris Johnson, one of the most distrusted politicians in a distrusted government, to ‘reach out’ to us all over Brexit in a divisive speech entitled ‘Uniting for a Great Brexit‘. Did it work for you? Here is one passsage: ‘We can simplify planning, and speed up public procurement,…
Brood meddling – a potential legal challenge (or two)
Anyone seeking to mount a judicial review of NE’s decision to issue a licence for brood managment on Hen Harriers this year (see here and here) has a couple of months to get it sorted. We, that’s me and some mates, have been exploring this option seriously, and still are. I should be meeting a…
Gove questioned over Hen Harriers – and spectacularly doesn’t answer!
In a bit of a coup, Rob Yorke got an exclusive interview with Michael Gove – I’m almost jealous. There are some interesting things in the interview – all words dropping out of the mouths of senior politicians are somewhat interesting, as much in what they don’t say as what they do. But Rob Yorke…
Bowland Gull Cull 8 – smidgeons of information from NE
In response to this: Sent: 06 February 2018 07:39 To: FOI (NE) <foi@naturalengland.org.uk> Subject: RE: Bowland gull cull Nearly three months ago you told me that the NE investigation into the Bowland Gull Cull was moving to its final stages and that I would be informed of its outcome. I have not heard from…
Dear Mr Gove! Wake up to this mess!
Dear Mr Gove You have a mess on your hands and despite the fact that you inherited much of it, you have let Natural England dig you into an even deeper hole. But in any case, it’s now your mess because you are sitting at the desk at which the buck stops. Why would you…
Wuthering Moors (57) – NE paving the way
Walshaw Moor Estate is applying for planning permission to build a big new track through an area of moorland protected for its wildlife interest. Track building has been highly contentious on this site for many years (see here, here) and the statutory nature conservation agency, Natural England, is well aware of that. However, NE is…
EDM 915
This is interesting. Early Day Motions are a bit like e-petitions for MPs! They have no necessary influence on anything and yet can raise the profile of an issue. And there is one entitled Action Plan for Hen Harriers which has the following text; ‘That this House welcomes the DEFRA plan for brood management trials…
YFTB attacks the RSPB again
Presumably as a result of the RSPB’s strong criticism of Natural England’s decision to license a trial of brood meddling and the RSPB’s support for Ed Hutchings’s e-petition in favour of licensing of driven grouse shooting (other e-petitions are available) YFTB has dusted off its attacks on the RSPB. In a press release issued by…
Sunday book review – A Shadow Above by Joe Shute
This book, by a Sheffield-based journalist, is about the Raven and its comeback. It’s a good read as the author travels around the country visiting places where Ravens live, many of them places where Ravens have recently returned. He interviews naturalists and land owners from Orkney to Kent, and has also done a good…