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 30 August 2008 12:26 BST

England's waning wildlife 'needs new care approach'

Monday, 19 May 2008 08:29
England's countryside needs a new approach to protect species, Natural England says

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A new approach to managing England's environment is needed to help the country's wildlife survive, Natural England has warned.

The agency said new strategies are vital if the natural environment is to adapt to the next 50 years of climate change and the pressures of development.

Its report, State of the Natural Environment, claims the natural environment in England is much less rich than 50 years ago.

There has been a 50 per cent decline in native woodland butterflies; only three per cent of England's grasslands remain rich in native plants; and there have major declines in populations of breeding wading birds on unprotected lowland wetland grasslands.

The report also says that there are signs of stress from climate change, both on the coast, where habitats are being squeezed between our sea walls and the rising sea, and on land, with a range of species moving northwards and upwards such as the mountain ringlet butterfly.

"We need to find ways to manage our landscape to create a mosaic of uses so that we can help wildlife survive – be it through a new 'national park' around the length of England's coastline, better use of the green belt or improved use of public funding for farmers to deliver a better natural environment," said Natural England chief executive Helen Philips.

"If we don't act, there's a real danger some of our most precious wildlife will be lost forever and our lives will be poorer for it."

To help the country's environment Natural England has today said it will help to find areas in England for renewable energy by publishing a map of suitable locations for onshore wind energy developments.

It also pledged to protect the natural environment at risk from planning and transport proposals and to better target the £2.9 billion of taxpayers' money it manages through green land management schemes to help people and nature adapt to climate change.

Natural England's plan for action has been welcomed by the RSPB.

Dr Sue Armstrong Brown, the RSPB's head of countryside conservation, said: "This is a timely and hard hitting call which the government must heed and act upon.

"We are seeing the consequences of decades of ignoring environmental limits. Now, with the climate changing and wildlife crashing worldwide, it is time for a new green leadership.

"There has never been a time when human action has put so much wildlife in peril. The government should support Natural England's plans and allocate enough money to put them into place."
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