Press releases 2011
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Government grants improved environmental enforcement powers to Natural England
(21 December 2011) From 3 January 2012, Natural England will have more flexible powers to help resolve cases where breaches of environmental regulations have resulted in harm to wildlife and the natural environment.
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Helping the Herdwicks stay safe
(21 December 2011) Some very special volunteers will be keeping Ainsdale’s nature reserves in top condition this winter and they need fencing to keep them out of the waves and off the road.
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Home is where the heath is for Galloways
(19 December 2011) Natural England’s Dersingham Bog National Nature Reserve (NNR) has welcomed some new residents to keep the heathland in top condition.
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(16 December 2011) Lorry tracks prove an unlikely home for northern colony of rare water-plant.
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Changes to Natural England’s Executive Board
(24 November 2011) Natural England, the Government’s nature conservation advisor, today announced that Dr Helen Phillips, the Chief Executive of Natural England, is moving on to take up a new position as an Executive Director of Yorkshire Water on 1 March 2012. She will continue as Chief Executive of Natural England until then to ensure a smooth transition to her successor.
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Rare fern disappears from National Trust estate
(16 November 2011) A colony of a tiny rare fern – which grows in only four sites in the south east of England - has disappeared from the National Trust Nymans estate in West Sussex.
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Last call to get involved with public consultation on marine site
(15 November 2011) Consultation on Studland to Portland possible marine Special Area of Conservation ends on Thursday 24th November 2011.
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Free NVZ workshops for South West farmers
(19 October 2011)A series of Nitrate Vulnerable Zone (NVZ) workshops for farmers are being held across the South West this autumn as part of the Soils for Profit Project.
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New Environmental Stewardship guidance for common land
(18 October 2011)Natural England has published new guidance for prospective Environmental Stewardship (ES) applicants.
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Thriving colonies of antlions discovered in Norfolk nature reserve
(17 October 2011) Latest survey confirms Holkham as only the second breeding area in Britain for rare insect predator
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Joint project is solving church bat problems
(13 October 2011) A joint project by Natural England and the Church of England, researching how to deal with the serious heritage and conservation issues around bats in churches has set off to a flying start.
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‘Open meeting’ dates announced for public consultation on proposed European marine site
(6 October 2011) Two opportunities to learn more during this formal consultation on the Studland to Portland possible marine Special Area of Conservation.
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Free soil analysis for South West farmers
(5 October 2011) Farmers in the South West are being offered a free soil testing kit as part of an initiative to provide advice on soil management.
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(5 October 2011) Lower Derwent Valley National Nature Reserve (NNR) is the new northern home for a southern belle.
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Hadrian’s Wall section repaired with support from Natural England
(4 October 2011) A section of Hadrian’s Wall has been repaired thanks to funding made available through the Higher Level Stewardship scheme administered by Natural England.
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(3 October 2011) Rare species breeds at Stodmarsh National Nature Reserve (NNR) for the first time in 40 years
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Natural England Board recommends new National Park boundaries
(28 September 2011) The expansion of two of England’s finest National Parks reached a major milestone today as Natural England’s Board agreed to proceed with recommendations to significantly expand the boundaries of the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales National Parks, increasing their combined area by nearly 500km2.
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Natural England launches free farm visits and support for participants in ELS
(23 September 2011) Natural England has launched a new service of one-to-one farm visits to help farmers in Entry Level Stewardship get the most out of their ELS agreements.
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Report reveals loss of protected newt habitat
(16 September 2011) Natural England releases the results from the most comprehensive investigation into the population status and distribution of great crested newts in Britain.
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Breeding spoonbills return to Holkham
(12 September 2011)Spoonbills returned and bred for a second year at Holkham National Nature Reserve (NNR), fledging 14 young.
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Firm fined for damaging one of England’s finest conservation sites
(8 September 2011) A field sports company and its director have been fined a total of £40,000 and ordered to pay costs of £125,000 after admitting damaging Farndale Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in the North York Moors National Park.
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Public consultation starts on proposed European marine site
(1 September 2011) Consultation on Studland to Portland possible marine Special Area of Conservation to run until 24th November 2011
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Taverham man receives suspended prison sentence for damaging protected wildlifes site in Norfolk
(25 August 2011) A Taverham businessman was back in court this morning (Thursday 25 August 2011) after Natural England claimed he was in breach of a legal pledge not to carry out any more unauthorized work on or affecting the River Wensum Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
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Agents invited to HLS Farm Environment Plan clinics
(23 August 2011) For the first time, Natural England is running a full series of ‘clinics’ for land agents to discuss Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) Farm Environment Plan (FEP) proposals.
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Wildlife poisoning probe sees rodent control company fined
(19 August 2011) A pest control company has been fined £3,250 for the illegal use of pesticides.
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Landmark grant scheme goes out on a £2.5 million high
(17 August 2011) The Access to Nature scheme - funded by the Big Lottery’s Changing Spaces programme and run by Natural England - has announced its final round of awards, with 12 projects sharing £2.5 million to help communities come closer to nature. The final 12 bring the total funding awarded over the last three years to a whopping £26.8 million.
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Natural England invites views on changes to environmental enforcement
(8 August 2011) Natural England has today, 8 August, launched an eight-week public consultation to seek views on how to help people to comply with laws protecting wildlife and the natural environment, and on how these laws should be enforced if regulations are broken.
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Man cautioned for selling rook meat
(5 August 2011) A 45-year-old Isle of Wight man has been formally cautioned, after he illegally sold rooks which he had shot, for human consumption.
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Buffer strips, bees and boundary management
(29 July 2011) Natural England’s seasonal tips for Entry Level Stewardship and the Campaign for the Farmed Environment
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Woman cautioned following protected species licence forgery
(28 July 2011) A London woman has been given a formal conditional caution, after she admitted fraudulently producing protected species licences, under which she illegally carried out paid consultancy work.
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Peregrine falcon chicks take flight following successful nest protection operation
(25 July 2011) Four peregrine falcon chicks have successfully fledged in the Medway area thanks to a nest protection project involving Natural England and Kent Police.
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Natural England to provide free online sessions on 3-Tier HLS
(25 July 2011) Natural England is providing free online information sessions on the new 3-Tier Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) application process, all available from the comfort of your own home or office.
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Natural England welcomes findings of Independent Review of Special Areas of Conservation
(22 July 2011) Natural England met earlier this week with Professor Bob Watson, Chief Scientific Adviser at DEFRA and members of the SAC evidence review panel to discuss the findings of the Independent Review of Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) that Professor Watson and his team have conducted.
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Welcome to hotlips, zipperback and the gangly lancer
(21 July 2011) Ten species enter the English language for the first time as winners of the 2011 Name a Species competition are announced.
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'Classics' holders encouraged to consider Environmental Stewardship
(18 July 2011) Over the next four years almost 15,000 ‘classic’ - Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA) and Countryside Stewardship Scheme (CSS) - agri-environment agreements will expire, covering over 675,000 ha of agricultural land.
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(6 July 2011) Discover beautiful butterflies, glimmering glow worms and even slinky seals. Flit with the bats, learn the stealthy art of camouflage or go on a bog safari. These are just some of the adventures on offer as Natural England rolls out its summer programme of family days out at National Nature Reserves.
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Major survey lifts the lid on England’s relationship with the Great Outdoors
(1 July 2011) • Definitive survey shows nearly 2.5bn visits were made to English countryside, coast and open spaces last year
• Visitors spending over £17 billion in 2010/11 -
New '3-tier' approach for Higher Level Stewardship scheme applications
(29 June 2011) From 1 July 2011, Natural England is launching a new ‘3-Tier’ way of handling Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) applications that will help to make the application process more streamlined and efficient for its farming customers.
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Public urged to name Britain’s forgotten wildlife
(11 June 2011) The Guardian and Natural England launch public competition to rescue unnamed British wildlife from obscurity.
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Bird-friendly farming methods soar to new heights
(10 June 2011) • Feeding and nesting habitat hits the 150,000 hectare mark for the first time
• New CD celebrates unique songs of farmland birds -
Environmental Stewardship advice at Cereals
(8 June 2011) Natural England will be at stand I1008 at the 2011 Cereals event at Boothby Graffoe near Lincoln to provide expert advice on Environmental Stewardship (ES) schemes and how they can be used to benefit farm businesses.
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Advice on derogations for Environmental Stewardship agreements
(2 June 2011) To help farmers and growers cope with the intense spell of dry weather, Natural England is ensuring that appropriate Environmental Stewardship derogations are made available to farmers who are in agri-environment schemes (AES) and has issued advice on how they can apply for them.
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Natural England attending Beef Expo 2011 to provide Environmental Stewardship advice
(24 May 2011) At a ‘one stop’ stand at Beef Expo 2011 at Newark Showground this week, farmers will be able to get expert advice about Environmental Stewardship (ES) schemes from Natural England staff and meet representatives from other organisations at a single information point at Thursday’s event.
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Spreading the word about Environmental Stewardship at Grassland event
(17 May 2011) Natural England advisers will be on hand at this week’s Grassland and Muck 2011 event at Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire (18-19 May) to give straightforward advice and information on how Environmental Stewardship (ES) schemes can benefit farm businesses.
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Spring into action with Entry Level Stewardship
(1 May 2011) One traditional springtime ritual includes getting up before dawn on May Day and going outside to wash your face in dew – which according to folklore keeps your complexion beautiful!
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Farmers urged to tap into £10.5m worth of water quality improvement grants
(26 April 2011) Closing date for applications extended to Friday 6th May.
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(13 April 2011) Following last year’s consultation on proposals to extend the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales National Parks, Natural England today released revised boundary details for further public consideration.
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Natural England unveils new hubs to handle land use consultations
(6 April 2011) Natural England today announced the launch of a new approach to responding to planning consultations which offers a more consistent, quick and efficient service to our customers.
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Record numbers of HLS agreements to start in 2011/12
(29 March 2011) More farmers will start Higher Level Stewardship agreements in 2011/12 than ever before, according to new figures from Natural England.
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Experts to perform health check on England’s only venomous snake
(28 March 2011) Snake experts from Natural England, Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and Oxford University have teamed up to perform a vital health check on Britain’s only venomous snake, the adder, following worrying declines.
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Proposals for first stretch of England Coast Path submitted to Secretary of State
(22 March 2011) Natural England publishes report to the Secretary of State proposing improved public access to 30Km of coast at Weymouth Bay in Dorset.
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£7.5m worth of grants come on stream to help farmers tackle water pollution
(15 March 2011) Farmers can now apply for grants of up to £10,000 from the Catchment Sensitive Farming Capital Grants Scheme, which is open for its fifth year.
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Mapping the future for key conservation areas
(11 March 2011) A series of colour-coded maps has been launched by Natural England, aimed at helping farmers choose the best Entry Level Stewardship (ELS) options for both their farms and the environment.
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Natural England halves its carbon emissions
(10 March 2011) Natural England announced today that it has successfully reduced its carbon emissions by 50%. In an ambitious four-year programme, the government’s wildlife and conservation advisor has delivered a series of carbon-saving projects that have cut carbon emissions in half compared to 2007 levels, saving over £1.75m per year in the process.
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£3.2 million boost for people and wildlife
(7 March 2011) Natural England announces latest round of Access to Nature grants funded by the Big Lottery Fund.
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New report helps fight the risk of alien plant invasion
(28 February 2011) The risks of nearly 600 alien plants threatening to enter England’s fragile ecosystems have been assessed as part of new research, undertaken by Plantlife on behalf of Natural England.
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Rare hazel pot beetle makes its hideout in Sherwood Forest
(14 February 2011) Natural England has confirmed that a thriving colony of one of England's rarest beetles - the hazel pot beetle - has been found hiding out in Sherwood Forest.
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New conservation guides put healthy habitats in the picture
(2 February 2011) Natural England has launched a range of new conservation guides which illustrate how careful land management can help create healthy habitats for wildlife.
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David Hill appointed Deputy Chair of Natural England
(1 February 2011) Natural England welcomed the announcement made today by Caroline Spelman MP, Secretary of State for the Environment, that David Hill has been appointed as Natural England’s Deputy Chair.
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Last refuges of England’s rarest species revealed
(27 January 2011) Ten of the most important wildlife sites in the country, the last refuges of some of our rarest species, are disclosed today by Natural England.
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Rare wild plants: the missing link in our food supplies?
(25 January 2011) New report highlights role of wild plants in delivering food security for the future
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Conservation in a changing climate
(11 January 2011) Natural England and the British Ecological Society hold joint conference on how conservation needs to adapt in the face of climate change.
