People in Lichfield and Burntwood are being urged to put pressure on local MPs to help protect wildlife.
The plea from the RSPB comes after what the organisation calls ““an unprecedented attack on nature and the laws that protect it” by the Government.
The charity said environmental laws, including the Habitats Regulations which product vulnerable green places and those ensuring clean beaches and rivers, are under threat from plans to scrap them, while also warning that further plans to create investment zones with relaxed planning rules could also hamper wildlife.
Suggestions have also emerged that a proposed scheme t0 support farmers and landowners to enhance nature and use their land to absorb carbon and work towards net zero could also be ditched.
Jeff Knott, the RSPB’s director of policy and advocacy, said:
“One of these Government actions alone would be a disaster – taken together, in such quick succession, with no debate or scrutiny, amounts to one of the most brazen attacks on nature we have ever seen.
“The impact will be far-reaching, mountain to coast. It will affect habitats and species. Nowhere will be safe.
“We knew this new Government was likely to make nature a low priority, but the scale and pace of these announcements is truly shocking.
“We are angry, yet we are immensely grateful for the support we have received on this, and we will continue fighting for the best outcome for nature.
“Now we are readying ourselves to fight the biggest attack on nature in a generation and are calling on our partners, supporters, and people who love their local wildlife, to help by contacting their MPs and making themselves heard.”
Jeff Knott, RSPB
Mr Knott added that food security and biodiversity could all be victims of Government policy.
“These proposals will rip up the laws that have for decades provided basic protection for our best wildlife sites, along with other laws protecting our air, rivers, wildlife and food standards.
“The shocking proposal to liberalise planning rules and ‘release land’ in the newly announced investment zones are also of huge concern to us. It would appear that these zones would allow developers to build carte blanche on some of our last remaining wildlife sites.
“To us they look less like investment zones and more likes destruction zones.
“The economy, our food security and our own health and wellbeing are wholly reliant on a healthy environment. That’s been the conclusion every time Government has looked at environmental protections over decades, so we’re furious that just when we need to push on with a decade of action, Government instead seems to be launching an all out attack on nature.
“We are in a nature and climate emergency. Anyone who cares about nature needs to speak to their MP urgently to stop the Government rushing this through with no scrutiny.”
Jeff Knott, RSPB
