England Biodiversity Strategy

The Government’s new England Biodiversity Strategy was published recently, setting out the actions that will contribute to an overall ambition to halt biodiversity loss by 2020. This follows the setting of global and European targets aimed at stepping up activity to conserve important species and habitats around the world. The Strategy links closely to the recent Natural Environment White Paper, advocating a landscape-scale approach to biodiversity conservation with partners from all sectors working more closely together. The Strategy identifies National Parks as being well placed to become exemplars in taking forward this approach.

The Strategy seeks to involve and engage a wider range of partners from statutory, voluntary and business sectors, and to encourage more people to care about nature and take responsibility for its protection. National Park Authorities are already working towards this aim through education and ranger services, visitor centres and major partnership projects enabling people to experience nature first hand such as the Osprey Project in the Lake District. The Strategy also contains a welcome focus on improving the biodiversity data available, through targeted research and greater involvement of volunteers in recording information.

ENPAA looks forward to contributing to the development of a delivery plan to help keep the Strategy on track and ensure its ambition can be achieved.

Download the England Biodiversity Strategy from the Defra website here