Cheshire wildlife trust urges the public to have their say
The Cheshire Wildlife Trust is urging people to have their say on the government’s plans for agriculture and land management in England following Brexit.
The public consultation on ‘the future for food, farming and the environment in a green Brexit’ will shape future agriculture plans.
“There is broad agreement that whilst it carries risks leaving the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy gives the UK an opportunity to improve an outdated system,” says the trust’s chief executive officer Charlotte Harris. “Many areas of our native wildlife are in decline due to changes in how land is managed.
“For instance the traditional wildflower meadows of years gone by are now a rare sight and hedgerows that were once a reliable source of food and shelter for many species are now lacking. Farming has a huge role to play in securing high quality water, preserving healthy soils, reducing the contribution we make to climate change and critically, restoring the abundance of our wildlife.”
The trust works with farmers across Cheshire, providing advice on managing land for wildlife. It also manages its own working farm in Cheshire, implementing a wildlife-friendly farm management system.
Ben Gregory, area manager of the trust said: “We welcome the government’s vision for the future of farming and the proposals to pay farmers and land managers for managing their land in a way that is of value to the public by providing for wildlife, improving water and soil quality and reducing the risk of floods downstream. But it is still vital that people take the opportunity to have their say during this consultation to give wildlife a voice.”
People can respond to the consultation through an online survey at https://consult.defra.gov.uk/farming/future-of-farming/.
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