Cornwall Wildlife Trust ensure the wonderful wildlife of Cornwall is protected and enhanced as changes are made to law and policy. We are part of the national body of 47 Wildlife Trusts ('The Wildlife Trusts'), which input into a wide range of consultations on new laws and policies across Britain. For further information see The Wildlife Trusts website. As well as advising Cornwall Council and other local bodies, Cornwall Wildlife Trust feed into these national responses to ensure we stand up nationally for wildlife in Cornwall.
Current consultations and campaigns: have your say
Habitats Directive and Wild Birds Directive Review
The Government is currently reviewing the European Habitats and Wild Bird’s Directives. This has been ordered by the Chancellor George Osborne. Cornwall Wildlife Trust is very concerned that this review has been implemented. The Directives give legal protection to some of our most vulnerable wildlife across the whole of the UK by protecting the areas in which this wildlife lives. Vital areas of our countryside and seas have been designated as Special Areas of Conservation (SAC), Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Special Protection Areas (SPAs) under these Directives because they are of European importance for wildlife.
This review may result in the protection of these sites being weakened, opening them up to development on the grounds of economic benefit. In particular, the protection of the marine environment in the UK is already woefully poor and this review may reduce the effectiveness of the little protection we currently have. You can write to your MP using our template letter to ask them to ensure that this review does not reduce the protection these vital areas currently have.
The 'Red Tape Challenge'
The Government is reviewing the 21,000 regulations active in the UK with a view to cutting red tape. The default position is that 'burdensome regulations will go'. There are 159 regulations relating to wildlife that are under review. This includes the absolute cornerstones of protection for our wildlife such as the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. This is an incredibly important time to let Government know just how essential these laws are - they serve to protect our wildlife-rich land and our vulnerable species such as dormice and marsh fritillary butterflies. Cornwall Wildlife Trust believes that wildlife regulation must be simplified and strengthened; not scrapped! Have your say and find out more at the Government's Red Tape Challenge website. You could also sign the petition on the 38 degrees website.
Cornwall's Core Strategy
There are many changes afoot in legislation and policy as we strive to meet the request for a 'Big Society'. Cornwall Council has recently been consulting on the new 'Core Strategy' for Cornwall. The first consultation outlined options for the broad scale and distribution for development in Cornwall such as housing and employment. Cornwall Wildlife Trust responded to the consultation, and took a firm stance with regard to protection of our important habitats and wildlife against development. We also urged the Council to maximise biodiversity gain in all developments. See the consultation on the council website (consultation ended 28 April 2011).
Position statements
For some issues that are of high local or national wildlife importance, we write 'position statements' to clearly set out Cornwall Wildlife Trust's stance on the issue. These may be current hot topics, or they may have been resolved. Please see our position statements page for more information.
Recent successes
Public forests
The chief executive of The Wildlife Trusts, Stephanie Hilborne, is one of twelve members of the new independent panel of experts set up to inform the future of England's forests. See our public forests position statement for more details.
Natural Environment White Paper
Over 15,000 people responded to the Government's consultation on the Natural Environment White Paper; an exceptional response! The Government has now published the White Paper which paves the way for future policy and laws on the environment. See our natural environment white paper page for more details.
