Deadline approaching for Natura 2000 formal consultation
11 February 2010
With a closing date of Friday 26 February, time is now short for responding to a formal consultation on proposed new sites in UK waters
Time is now short for responding to a formal consultation on proposed new sites in UK waters which will form part of the European network of marine protected areas, known as ‘Natura 2000’. Twelve sites have been proposed around the UK, and these proposals are designed to safeguard important marine habitats, species and birds. The consultation closes on Friday 26th February.
The sites fall into two categories:
Special Protection Areas which protect rare, vulnerable and migratory bird species;
Special Areas of Conservation which protect habitats of importance at the European scale. Feedback is important as it will help to shape the final proposals that the UK Government makes to the European Commission later this year.
A formal consultation has been underway since November 2009 and it will finish on Friday 26 February. To find out where the proposed boundaries of the sites are in the UK’s inshore waters, you can visit: www.naturalengland.org.uk/ourwork/marine/sacconsultation/default.aspx . For the proposed site boundaries in offshore waters, visit www.jncc.gov.uk/marineconsult. To comment formally on the inshore proposals, write to: natura2000.consultation@naturalengland.org.uk and on the offshore proposals, write to: offshoreconsult@jncc.gov.uk.
ENDS
For further information please contact John Rennie from the Natural England communications team on 07500 990874 or on john.rennie@naturalengland.org.uk or the Joint Nature Conservation Committee on 01733 866 839 or on communications@jncc.gov.uk
Notes for Editors
Natural England is the statutory nature conservation adviser for Government for England (including territorial waters) and is committed to delivering an ecologically coherent and representative network of MPAs. It will commit time from its own specialist staff and research products to support the project as well as providing funding www.naturalengland.org.uk
The Joint Nature Conservation Committee is the statutory adviser to Government on UK and international nature conservation, on behalf of the Council for Nature Conservation and the Countryside, the Countryside Council for Wales, Natural England and Scottish Natural Heritage. Its work contributes to maintaining and enriching biological diversity, conserving geological features and sustaining natural systems. JNCC is also the statutory conservation adviser to Government for UK offshore waters (i.e. beyond 12 nautical miles). www.jncc.gov.uk
