Britain’s climate zones shifting 5km a year – nature recovery era needed to avert wildlife catastrophe Britain’s climate zones are shifting by up to five kilometres a year because of rising temperatures – with potentially catastrophic impacts for wildlife, says a new report by Rewilding Britain. The shift – due to human-caused climate heating, and hundreds…
Tag: Natural England
A week tomorrow
A week tomorrow the Wild Justice judicial review of the legality of releasing tens of millions of non-native gamebirds, without ensuring that those releases will not damage sites of conservation importance, will take place. The legal arguments are best left to lawyers but the science is open to anyone to inspect and comment upon. Here…
New General Licences coming soon?
Last year DEFRA carried out a consultation on general licences in England – this was forced by the successful Wild Justice legal challenge of the Natural England general licences. Over 4,000 responses were received , which is quite a lot, but not so many as to justify such a long wait for any decisions from…
A walk in Nidderdale
It’s difficult to imagine why this land in Nidderdale might be closed on these days during the grouse shooting season – but the closure does not affect the rights of way. A land owner can restrict public access for 28 days/year without having to give any reason – this seems perfectly fair to me. There…
Badgers
Today Wild Justice is attempting to overturn the refusal of permission for judicial review of Natural England’s licensing of Badger culls. It’s a remote hearing and we’ll be watching by video-link (not available to the general public I’m afraid). The quickest way to hear what happened will be to sign up to the Wild Justice…
Thinking of going for a walk this weekend?
I’ve heard the Peak District National Park, our oldest National Park, is very nice… Try the road from Manchester to Barnsley (which is also the road from Barnsley to Manchester) near the Woodhead Pass, perhaps… And the area south of the main road along Middle Small Clough looks nice from the road … Well, admittedly…
Press release – HS2 and Barbastelles from Leigh Day
Rare bats sightings mean continuing HS2 works could be criminal offence Leigh Day lawyers have written a second letter to HS2 Limited to call for a halt to works at Jones Hill Wood, Buckinghamshire since the discovery of Barbastelle bats at the location. On behalf of his client’s concern at the sightings in Jones Hill…
RSPB statement on House of Lords debate
RSPB welcomes Defra and House of Lords support for a burning ban on peatlands The RSPB has today welcomed Defra and cross-party support in the House of Lords today for a burning ban on peatlands. In the debate, Defra minister Zac Goldsmith said, “The evidence shows that the burning on blanket bog is detrimental as it moves the bog away from its original wet state and risks vulnerable peat bogs…
RSPB press release – ban the burn
Mayors, councils, local communities, and RSPB unite in support of the call to urgently ban peatland burning on grouse moors. The RSPB is today calling on Government to implement an immediate end to the burning of precious peatlands on moors managed for grouse shooting. The call, which comes on the first day of this year’s…
RSPB Green Recovery Plan
Yesterday the RSPB launched this document with a rather ambitious title. In 15 pages, which amount to six and a half pages of text, the RSPB sets out its green recovery plan. As a bunch of ideas they are very much the right ideas. As a plan, it’s hardly a plan. As a report, it’s…