peter hayes
Thursday 3rd April 2003, 18:37
MEDIA RELEASE
Working for Wildlife
Press Office, Sparling House, 83 - 87 Union Street, London SE1 1SG
(tel) 020 7403 6155 (fax) 020 7403 4532 (press mobile) 07814024018
(web) www.workingforwildlife.org.uk
THURSDAY APRIL 3
FIFTY YEARS OF GOVERNMENT-SPONSORED DESTRUCTION OF OUR COUNTRYSIDE MUST STOP
The new charity Working for Wildlife is demanding a change in policy on the nation's countryside - to one of conservation instead of degradation.
In a presentation at next week's London launch of Working for Wildlife, Secretary Douglas Batchelor will say: "Present policy is still subsidising damage to the countryside.
"Fifty years of previous Governments' and subsequent European Union policies have led to a grant-aided destruction of much of the UK's wildlife and habitats.
"Over the last fifty years Government policy has been responsible for the destruction of:
"99 percent of lowland heath, 80 percent of chalk downland, 150 000 miles of hedgerows, 80 percent of fens and mires, 50 percent of ancient lowland woods and 90 percent of lowland ponds.
"Working for Wildlife will help reverse the damage caused by these policies. The degradation of the countryside must be stopped - and where possible we will be helping people to restore what has already been lost".
Established by The League Against Cruel Sports, Working for Wildlife will build on the League's conservation heritage to carry out education and conservation projects nationwide.
Projects are already underway on League Against Cruel Sports sanctuary land and further projects will enable people to carry out their own conservation work on the million acres of private gardens throughout Britain.
Current Working for Wildlife projects aim to:
· Reverse damage to ancient meadows inflicted by intensive agriculture.
· Prevent further damage to ecologically important sites of high biodiversity.
· Conserve species-rich grasslands and the species supported by them.
The charity has identified sites throughout the country to be targeted for conservation and education projects:
Cumbria - Reforestation and bracken removal in upland areas.
East of England - Providing reed beds as breeding grounds for rare 'Red Data Book' bird species.
Midlands - Nearly half of the nation's lowland meadows are found in the West Midlands - these need guaranteed preservation.
North West - Conservation of peat bogs - reversing the effects of global warming by acting as a carbon dioxide sink.
North East - Reversing the effects of loss of heather moorland from intensive agricultural practices, afforestation of higher ground, wetland drainage and archaeological site disturbance.
Scotland - Conservation of unenclosed areas of rough grassland, heather moorland and extensive peat areas.
South East - The protection of lowland calcareous grasslands - only 33,000 to 41,000 hectares remain in the UK.
West Country - Islandisation of habitats and a loss of biodiversity need to be addressed.
Yorkshire - Protection of limestone pavements and upland moorlands.
Working for Wildlife
Press Office, Sparling House, 83 - 87 Union Street, London SE1 1SG
(tel) 020 7403 6155 (fax) 020 7403 4532 (press mobile) 07814024018
(web) www.workingforwildlife.org.uk
THURSDAY APRIL 3
FIFTY YEARS OF GOVERNMENT-SPONSORED DESTRUCTION OF OUR COUNTRYSIDE MUST STOP
The new charity Working for Wildlife is demanding a change in policy on the nation's countryside - to one of conservation instead of degradation.
In a presentation at next week's London launch of Working for Wildlife, Secretary Douglas Batchelor will say: "Present policy is still subsidising damage to the countryside.
"Fifty years of previous Governments' and subsequent European Union policies have led to a grant-aided destruction of much of the UK's wildlife and habitats.
"Over the last fifty years Government policy has been responsible for the destruction of:
"99 percent of lowland heath, 80 percent of chalk downland, 150 000 miles of hedgerows, 80 percent of fens and mires, 50 percent of ancient lowland woods and 90 percent of lowland ponds.
"Working for Wildlife will help reverse the damage caused by these policies. The degradation of the countryside must be stopped - and where possible we will be helping people to restore what has already been lost".
Established by The League Against Cruel Sports, Working for Wildlife will build on the League's conservation heritage to carry out education and conservation projects nationwide.
Projects are already underway on League Against Cruel Sports sanctuary land and further projects will enable people to carry out their own conservation work on the million acres of private gardens throughout Britain.
Current Working for Wildlife projects aim to:
· Reverse damage to ancient meadows inflicted by intensive agriculture.
· Prevent further damage to ecologically important sites of high biodiversity.
· Conserve species-rich grasslands and the species supported by them.
The charity has identified sites throughout the country to be targeted for conservation and education projects:
Cumbria - Reforestation and bracken removal in upland areas.
East of England - Providing reed beds as breeding grounds for rare 'Red Data Book' bird species.
Midlands - Nearly half of the nation's lowland meadows are found in the West Midlands - these need guaranteed preservation.
North West - Conservation of peat bogs - reversing the effects of global warming by acting as a carbon dioxide sink.
North East - Reversing the effects of loss of heather moorland from intensive agricultural practices, afforestation of higher ground, wetland drainage and archaeological site disturbance.
Scotland - Conservation of unenclosed areas of rough grassland, heather moorland and extensive peat areas.
South East - The protection of lowland calcareous grasslands - only 33,000 to 41,000 hectares remain in the UK.
West Country - Islandisation of habitats and a loss of biodiversity need to be addressed.
Yorkshire - Protection of limestone pavements and upland moorlands.