Defra goes wild…
Environment Secretary Hilary Benn has announced a review of England’s wildlife and ecological network to see if it is capable of responding to the challenges of climate change and other pressures.
The review will look to see what benefits could be gained by connecting sites within designated areas and outside them through re-wilding initiatives – allowing farmland to return to its wild state which could include reintroductions of species such as lynx and elk.
But the proposal looks certain to be controversial. The Country Land and Business Association has already branded the proposals ‘misconceived and ill thought out’ and it will be interesting to see how Defra balances its food security agenda with its wildlife and countryside plans…
