Natural England - Local biodiversity and NI 197

Local biodiversity and NI 197

Biodiversity brings benefits to local communities through benefiting health, improving the local economy, maintaining environmental quality and providing recreation and educational resources for people of all ages. Biodiversity is ultimately lost or conserved at the local level. To address this, Natural England recently invited to an event to explore ways of improving the long term delivery of biodiversity at the local level and the reporting on the positive management of Local Wildlife Sites.

Local Authorities are already doing a lot of good work to achieve positive results for biodiversity in this region. The management of Local Sites is key to achieving biodiversity targets with biodiversity being ultimately lost or conserved at the local level.

Through the Local Area Agreement process, Local Authorities now have a statutory duty to report to central Government on a national indicator NI 197 Improved Local Biodiversity by March 2009. Natural England are keen to assist in building knowledge around this as they and other bodies have a statutory duty to assist the Local Sites Partnership in developing the baseline data and will sign off the process to a satisfactory standard.

Jointly with the Government Office for the North East and the Association of North East Councils an event was hosted at City Gate (Newcastle). More than 40 people from 30 organisations attended and explored together how local biodiversity can be enhanced for the benefit of wildlife and people.