Natural England chairman meets New Forest partners
22 February 2010
In the New Forest today, Natural England chairman Poul Christensen emphasised the importance of strong partnerships in delivering the future sustainable management of the New Forest environment and to meet the challenges facing farming and commoning in the New Forest.
Poul Christensen (centre) at Beaulieu Road (credit Rachel Green)
His visit concentrated on how the successful partnerships are working together in the New Forest, on the complexities of the land management issues here, and on the latest moves towards agreeing a new way of managing the New Forest environment.
At Beaulieu Road Livestock Yard he met representatives of the Forestry Commission, New Forest Livestock Society, Commoners Defence Association, Verderers, National Trust, New Forest District Council and the New Forest National Park to talk about the kind of infrastructure these organisations need for open forest management in the future.
Poul Christensen, who farms in Oxfordshire, told those he met at Beaulieu Road that: “The New Forest National Park is a uniquely important environmental gem. I am impressed by the work that our regional staff at Natural England, working with the New Forest National Park Authority and a range of other partners, has been undertaking in supporting this. It is important that our organisations continue to work closely in helping to address the challenges of farming and commoning in the Forest, which together will continue to play a vital role in sustaining biodiversity and the landscape in the National Park.”
Poul Christensen visited a restored stretch of the River Blackwater on Rhinefield Drive where he met some of those working on what is possibly the biggest and best example of stream restoration in Europe. Natural England and its partners have delivered several big projects to restore water levels in previously drained mires and lawns and putting back meanders in rivers which had been straightened and deepened.
At this visit he met representatives of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, the Environment Agency, New Forest Association and Hampshire County Council, as well as the Forestry Commission, Commoners Defence Association and the National Park, all of whom have been key to delivering these important works.
Barrie Foley, interim chief executive of the New Forest National Park Authority, said: “The New Forest was designated because it’s a nationally important landscape, so it was a pleasure to explain some of its special features to Natural England’s chairman. His visit allowed us to thank him and Natural England for the support they continue to give to National Parks and the recognition of their national importance. We have very specific issues in the Forest, in terms of commoning, recreation and the challenges facing the historic nature of the landscape and environment, and it was good to explain this to him, to show him some of the ways we are responding to the environmental challenges of the 21st Century.”
ENDS
For further information, please contact John Rennie from Natural England’s South East Advocacy and Partnerships Team on 07500 990874, email: john.rennie@naturalengland.org.uk or Karen Evans for the New Forest National Park Authority on 01590 646650, email: karen.evans@newforestnpa.gov.uk
Notes to Editors
Natural England is the government’s independent advisor on the natural environment. Established in 2006 our work is focused on enhancing England’s wildlife and landscapes and maximising the benefits they bring to the public. We run England’s Environmental Stewardship green farming schemes which deliver over £400 million a year to farmers and landowners, enabling them to enhance the natural environment across two thirds of England’s farmland. The Environmental Stewardship grants deliver conservation of wildlife, maintain landscapes and natural resources and protect historical features. See www.naturalengland.org.uk for more.
