Natural England

Natural England today (24 August) issued a call to local conservation groups to help build a better understanding of England’s wildlife.

The call comes on the back of a consultation issued today by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) on the draft assessment of the state of the UK’s rarest wildlife. The consultation calls for more scientific data to plug knowledge gaps.

Every six years, Member States of the European Union report on the implementation of the Habitats Directive and publish an assessment of the conservation status of all habitats and species.

Dr Tom Tew, Natural England’s Chief Scientist, commenting on the UK report, said: “An assessment of this scale has never been done before in the UK. It highlights the need for high quality scientific information about the whereabouts and number of our rarest wildlife, particularly in the wider countryside surrounding protected sites. The threats to our wildlife and habitats, particularly from climate change, grow ever greater. The more information we have, the better we can help conserve them.”

He said: ”Natural England has made a huge contribution to the UK assessment both with information on species and habitats in Sites of Special Scientific Interest in England, and the extensive expertise from our conservation specialists. However, it’s clear that there are gaps in our knowledge and this consultation will allow local and national conservationists to comment on, and add to, the accuracy of the report.”

Notes to Editors

1. For further information: National Press Office 0845 603 9953, press@naturalengland.org.uk, out of hours 07970 098005.

2. Requests for copies of the report, further information on what the report is about and how the information was compiled, should be addressed to the JNCC. Email communications@jncc.gov.uk or phone 01733 866839. Background on the report and the Habitats Directive are available on the JNCC website at www.jncc.gov.uk/article17.

3. Every six years, Member States of the European Union are required to report on implementation of the Council Directive on the Conservation of Natural habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora (Habitats Directive). This obligation arises through Article 17 of the Directive. The first UK report on implementation of the Habitats Directive is available at: http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-countryside/ewd/rrrpac/echabitats/index.htm. This second Habitats Directive report focuses on a first assessment of conservation status of all habitats and species of Community interest. The reporting format set by the European Commission requires a separate analysis for each species and each habitat in each biogeographic zone which that country covers. The information for each of these features (167 of them for the UK in the Atlantic biogeographic zone) has been collated by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) in consultation with species and habitat specialists in the four statutory country conservation agencies:

• For England, Natural England
• For Wales, Countryside Council for Wales
• For Scotland, Scottish Natural Heritage
• For Northern Ireland, the Environment and Heritage Service.

4. This is the first time assessments of conservation status of the habitats and species on the annexes of the Directive have been undertaken. The assessment process is complex. Each has four parameters, which are brought together, using a format agreed at a European level, to form the overall assessment. The conservation status assessments use information from both protected sites and the wider countryside and is therefore more than an assessment of protected site condition.

5. The consultation on the draft report will last until 28 September 2007. Email responses should be sent to article17@jncc.gov.uk.