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‘An amazing story’: Devon beaver reintroduction deemed a success

Thursday, January 30, 2020

A colony of beavers in a Devon river has brought social and economic benefits that "far outweigh the costs", according to a team of experts that is concluding a five-year study of the reintroduction scheme".

While mystery surrounds how the beavers, which have been extinct in England for 400 years, originally colonised stretches of the River Otter, Natural England confirmed in 2015 that the colony could remain in the area on a temporary basis, under a licence granted to the Devon Wildlife Trust.

DEFRA drives wider adoption of natural capital techniques

Thursday, January 30, 2020

The government has published a series of guidance, tools, datasets and case studies intended to help put an economic value on the natural environment.

The ‘Enabling a Natural Capital Approach’ (ENCA) package was published today, to sit alongside the Treasury’s ‘Green Book’ on the financial appraisal of policies and projects. It should encourage the wider adoption of natural capital techniques across government, though is also suitable for use across the broader public and private sectors.

First study of its kind shows road pollution is contaminating rivers

Thursday, January 30, 2020
  • New research identifies London roads making highest contribution to river pollution and poor water quality
  • Findings will allow road owners and operators - such as Highways England, TfL and local highways authorities - to target key stretches of roads with the highest potential to pollute.

Pollution from the surface of London’s roads is posing a significant risk to rivers in the capital, a pioneering new study has found.

2020: time to walk the talk on climate and nature

Thursday, January 30, 2020

This post is by Tony Juniper CBE, chair of Natural England and Emma Howard Boyd, chair of the Environment Agency.

As we start the New Year, it’s clear that 2020 is our last chance to bring the world together to take decisive action on climate change, to protect our communities and reverse the alarming loss of wildlife we have witnessed in recent years.

Environment Agency funding to help restore River Ver in St Albans

Thursday, January 30, 2020

The Environment Agency has pledged £300,000 for a master plan to restore a river that dried up last summer.

A lake that is part of the River Ver in Verulamium Park, St Albans completely disappeared in September last year, when more than 200 people protested outside the Ye Olde Fighting Cocks pub.

The protest, organised by the Ver Valley Society, called for authorities to acknowledge how dry the river had become.

A balance must be struck between rewilding the Lake District and farming

Thursday, January 30, 2020

The Lake District was once teeming with life, undisturbed by that most invasive of species - human beings. The valleys in particular were densely forested and marshy, which is evident at High Street, where Roman conquerors chose to build their road going over the fell rather than through the bog of the valley below.

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