Countryside and Rights of Way Act - IS BORN!

[The Land Is Ours]

**** Countryside and Rights of Way ACT ****

INFORMATION BULLETIN: England and Wales now have new wildlife laws
which will give better protection to Sites of Special scientific
Interest and to threatened and endangered species. These have been
secured partly as a result of all your hard work and continued
campaigning - congratulations!

The Countryside and Rights of Way Act was born yesterday when the bill
received Royal Assent in parliament. You can read:

tuesday's debate on the Lords' amendments at:
http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/cm199900/cmhansrd/cm001128/debtext/01128-11.htm#01128-11_head1 


the speech made by the Queen signifying the end of the parliamentary
year at:
http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/cm199900/cmhansrd/cm001130/debtext/01130-32.htm#01130-32_head0


**** Friends of the Earth Press Release ****

Immediate Release: FRIDAY 1 December 2000

NEW LAW GIVES WILDLIFE BETTER PROTECTION

Tough new laws to protect the UK's most important wildlife havens were
given Royal assent last night (Thursday). The Countryside and Rights of
Way Act includes numerous measures that Friends of the Earth has been
lobbying for, and follows 20 years of hard campaigning. The new
legislation will help tackle the appalling destruction inflicted on many
of the UK's best wildlife havens. More than half of England's Sites of
Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) are in an unfavourable condition.

However, whilst FOE welcomes the new measures, farming practices still
threaten the UK's biodiversity, and some sites, such as peatlands could
still be damaged and destroyed by big business and developers.

The Act has four main wildlife provisions: the conservation of Sites of
Special Scientific Interest; action on biodiversity; better protection
for species; and a 'duty of care' on public bodies.

Matt Phillips, senior wildlife campaigner at Friends of the Earth said:
"We are delighted that this new Act has been passed and congratulate the
Government for introducing it. These new laws will substantially improve
the prospects of our meadows, wetlands, wild flowers and animals
surviving long enough for future generations to see.

"But there are still major threats. Big business and intensive farming
are putting even our most precious wildlife areas under severe
pressure. Despite this Act the giant US multinational Scotts will still
be able to continue damaging Thorne Moor SSSI in pursuit of profit."

** Do you want to be involved in our new campaign to stop
multinationals such as the Scotts Corporation damaging biodiversity and
communities across the world? Watch this space for further information
coming soon ....**

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Please forward this email to any friends, colleagues or family that
might be interested, and encourage them to subscribe to the list.

They can do so at:
http://www.foe.co.uk/campaigns/biodiversity_and_habitats/wildplaces/action.html 





The TLIO Networking Office



The Land Is Ours
... A Landrights movement for All

The Land Is Ours campaigns peacefully for access to the land, its resources 
and the decision making processes affecting them, for everyone - 
irrespecitive of race, age, or gender.

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