David Cameron came into power promising to deliver the greenest government ever and this
week the government published its Natural Environment White Paper.
In his article on this site, Richard Benyon – Defra Minister and long-time supporter of rural affairs – explains where he believes this White Paper will make a difference. From provisions to increase outside learning for school children, to recognising the hard work that rural businesses are already doing; there is much to be commended.
‘The Natural Choice’ promises to repair the damage that has been done to the environment in the recent past and encourage greater involvement in helping nature prosper – the ‘Big Society’ in action.
However, farmers, land managers and champions of country pursuits have always been the ‘Big Society’ in the countryside, long before it had been provided with a catch-all title.
The countryside is not just an experiment or recreational area; it is a fully functioning and evolving environment with great regional variety. Management has to be locally specific in order to remain sustainable and cannot be dictated to by a centrally set target, a risk this White Paper runs.
The White Paper claims that ‘nature is sometimes taken for granted and undervalued’, but this is not true for those individuals who love the countryside and have invested in its future. The government has also missed an opportunity to support rural communities’ voluntarism; for instance, those who undertake hundreds of millions of pounds worth of unpaid conservation work each year for the benefit of all. It should be a priority to support them.
Rob Gray is Deputy Chief Executive of the Countryside Alliance
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