DEFRA

Offsetting is a massive threat to wildlife, warn environment groups

02.06.2014

Biodiversity offsetting is already being used by developers to justify schemes that will cause irreversible harm to nature, warn over 15 environment groups across the world today (Monday 2 June 2014), ahead of a major biodiversity offsetting conference in London this week. The conference – “To No Net Loss of Biodiversity and Beyond” on 3 […]

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It’s time to get the draft forestry legislation into the public domain for debate.

06.02.2014

We need to know what the proposed safeguards against the privatisation and exploitation of our English public forests are. Will this Government take the risk in the build up to the General Election and put the draft forestry bill into parliament for public scrutiny? If they believed in the current offering from DEFRA and the Forestry Commission, why on earth wouldn’t they?

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Tree Planting Grants Suspended

14.11.2013

It has just emerged that there will be no Government grants for planting new woodlands in 2014 and 2015. The result of transitional arrangements towards new European grants under the Rural Development Programme, the suspension has apparently been limited in Scotland and Wales – but not in England.

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Biodiversity Offsetting? Lets call it what it is: Greenwash for the destruction of nature for money

06.11.2013

We’ve heard of how de-humanising people enables us to commit atrocities against one another, I believe that reducing a forest to tradable biodiversity units is de-naturising and will enable atrocities against nature.

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Forestry expert speaks out on proposals for our public forests

10.09.2013

Forestry expert, Rod Leslie, warns against an uprising from the grassroots if Govt gets it wrong over our public forests

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NGO concern as UK Government releases its consultation on biodiversity offsetting

05.09.2013

Today, the UK Government published a long-awaited green paper on its proposed plans to implement biodiversity offsetting.

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Biodiversity Off-setting and Invertebrate Conservation

02.09.2013

Biodiversity off-setting represents a denial of any distinctive ecological value as the underlying assumption is that one group of organisms (an ecosystem) can simply be replaced by another.

At a more specific level, there are several reasons why off-setting from the perspective of invertebrate conservation is doomed to fail.

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Our Forests challenges Independent Panel on Forestry

03.08.2013

Bishop gives voice to growing unease over future of public woods and forests.

Latest Government plans raise more questions, rather than allaying fears.

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The Future of Our Forests – What’s happened DEFRA?

11.07.2013

There’s plenty to be happy about but there are a few things that stand out as being a massive failure by Government to listen to the people that enabled this once in a hundred year process to occur.

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Biodiversity offsetting permits previously rejected housing development

23.05.2013

Tyneside wildlife areas threatened by new development – biodiversity offsetting undermining local communities?

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All about the Money

08.05.2013

Behind the debate on ownership of our national forests, the money question has always been there. How much should the forests cost the public purse ?

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Biodiversity offsetting in the UK one year on… it’s not looking good…

07.05.2013

UK’s Biodiversity Offset Pilot has nothing much to show for it. Not one of the six counties involved has made a single offset. This is disappointing for organisations such as the Environment Bank, for whom these pilots are core business, but for much of civil society, the failure is just a reminder that biodiversity offsetting is not the right approach to conserving our remaining natural spaces.

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Trading Places – biodiversity offsetting.

22.04.2013

With good design biodiversity could be increased on a development site. Biodiversity offsetting prevents this, it is selling your landscape, your place and you can’t say or do anything about it.

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How would you go about bringing 10,000 hectares of neglected wood back into management every year ?

13.03.2013

Rod Leslie asks the million dollar question.. Whatever the answer, the options should be tested against what is ultimately best for our forests

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Government Forestry and Woodlands Policy Statement and response to Independent Forestry Panel Report. Is it really good news, and what are they actually going to do?

05.02.2013

Sarah picks apart the Governments response to the Forestry Panel, with some insightful commentary

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Government response to the Forestry Panel report – FCN Press Release

05.02.2013

The Forests Campaigns Network welcomes the Governments response to the Forestry Panels’ report but has serious concerns on the detail

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Government response to Forest Campaign – it’s a Victory, no doubt about it!

05.02.2013

Public Forest Estate – SECURED in public ownership (unclear if in perpetuity), 15% sales – STOPPED, Forestry Commission – given more freedom from Government, Funding – Huge concern, Structure – yet to be decided. Is it just a vote winner or is it actually useful?

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Middle Ground not No Mans Land

05.02.2013

There is opportunity offered in the government response and now policy to do so. It is up to the independent campaigners, including ourselves to keep these doors open.

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Forestry Commission Forever

04.02.2013

Its official. On 31st January 2013 Government confirmed what we all knew and believed: the nationally owned forests of the Forestry Commission are one of the icons of English culture.

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The Future of the Forestry Commission

23.01.2013

by Rod Leslie.. “For me, the break up of the Forestry Commission is a line in the sand because it will mean the Government will fail to deliver the promise of the IFP report.”

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