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WORKING WITH THE GRAIN OF NATURE:
A BIODIVERSITY STRATEGY FOR ENGLAND
Working
with the Grain of Nature; a biodiversity
strategy for England, was launched on 24
October 2002 at the London Wetland Centre,
Barnes by the RT Hon Margaret Beckett MP,
Secretary of State for Environment, Food
and Rural Affairs.
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The Strategy is a Government strategy,
but it has been prepared with the
active partnership of a broad range
of stakeholders in the public, voluntary
and private sectors.
The Strategy sets out a series of
actions that will be taken by the
Government and its partners to make
biodiversity a fundamental consideration
across all main sectors of public
policy.
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©
Roger Key, English Nature
Image Enquiries
roger.key@english-nature.org.uk
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- The proposals for agriculture
(Agriculture)
encourage the management of farming
and agricultural land so as to conserve
and enhance biodiversity as part
of the Government’s Sustainable
Food and Farming Strategy.
- The proposals for water (Water
and wetlands) aim for a whole
catchment approach to the wise,
sustainable use of water and wetlands.
- The proposals for woodland (Woodland
and forestry) aim at managing
and extending woodland so as to
promote enhanced biodiversity and
quality of life.
- The proposals for urban areas
(Towns,
cities and development) recognise
the need for biodiversity to become
a part of the development policy
on sustainable communities, urban
green space and the built environment.
- The proposals for marine and coastal
management (The
Coasts and seas) seek to achieve
the sustainable use and management
of our coasts and seas using natural
processes and the ecosystem approach.
- The proposals for local and regional
action (Local
and regional action) aim to
develop and support biodiversity
partnerships in the English regions
and at more local levels.
- The proposals for economics (The
economics and funding of biodiversity)
aim to improve techniques for the
valuation of biodiversity and identify
the main gaps in biodiversity funding.
- The proposals for business (The
engagement of business) aim
to encourage business to act for
biodiversity in the boardroom, through
management systems and supply chains
and on the ground.
- The proposals on public awareness
(Education
and public understanding) are
aimed at involving people and helping
them make biodiversity a part of
their everyday lives, through information,
communication and education.
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The England Biodiversity Group (EBG) is
overseeing the Strategy’s implementation
and will take stock of progress annually
and publish a full report in 2006. To assist
them the EBG has set up four cross cutting
strategy implementation groups:-
- Local and Regional, chaired by
David Miller, Head of Resources
and Environment, Durham County Council
- Business, chaired by Dr Chris
Spray, Environment Director, Northumbrian
Water
- Education and Public Understanding,
chaired by Doug Hulyer, Director
of Conservation, Programmes and
Development Department, Wildfowl
and Wetlands Trust
- Economics and Funding, chaired
by Dr Simon Harding, Senior Economic
Adviser, Defra
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The England Biodiversity Group has fulfilled the commitment made when publishing the biodiversity strategy for England to develop and publish a set of accompanying biodiversity indicators. Measuring
the progress of the biodiversity strategy
for England: baseline assessment was published on 1 December 2003. The indicators have been selected to reflect the broad range of objectives of the strategy, and cover not only sites, habitats and species but also quality of life, and involving people and businesses.
At the same time, a first annual
stock take on progress with each of the sectors addressed by the strategy was also published by the England Biodiversity Group. In its stock take the EBG considers that good progress has been made but recognises that there is still much to do.
Hard copies of the Strategy and of Measuring
progress: baseline assessment
are available
free of charge from:
Defra Publications
Admail 6000
London
SW1 2XX
Tel: 08459 556000
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