
English Nature was the
United Kingdom government agency that promoted the
conservation of
wildlife
Wildlife refers to domestication, undomesticated animals and uncultivated plant species which can exist in their natural habitat, but has come to include all organisms that grow or live wilderness, wild in an area without being species, introdu ...
,
geology
Geology (). is a branch of natural science concerned with the Earth and other astronomical objects, the rocks of which they are composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Earth ...
and wild places throughout England between 1990 and 2006. It was a
non-departmental public body
In the United Kingdom, non-departmental public body (NDPB) is a classification applied by the Cabinet Office, Treasury, the Scottish Government, and the Northern Ireland Executive to public sector organisations that have a role in the process o ...
funded by the
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is a Departments of the Government of the United Kingdom, ministerial department of the government of the United Kingdom. It is responsible for environmental quality, environmenta ...
(DEFRA) and gave statutory advice, grants and issued licences.
The
Nature Conservancy Council (NCC) (formerly the Nature Conservancy) was established by the
National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949
The National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 ( 12, 13 & 14 Geo. 6. c. 97) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which created the National Parks Commission which later became the Countryside Commission and then the Count ...
to cover
nature conservation
Nature conservation is the ethic/moral philosophy and conservation movement focused on protecting species from extinction, maintaining and restoring habitats, enhancing ecosystem services, and protecting biological diversity. A range of values ...
issues across the whole of
Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-west coast of continental Europe, consisting of the countries England, Scotland, and Wales. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the List of European ...
. The NCC was split into four by the
Environmental Protection Act 1990—its English duties being given to English Nature. In Scotland, its functions were merged with those of the
Countryside Commission for Scotland to form
Scottish Natural Heritage, and similarly in Wales there was a merger to form the
Countryside Council for Wales
The Countryside Council for Wales (CCW; ) was a Welsh Assembly sponsored body responsible for wildlife conservation, landscape and countryside access in Wales.
It merged with Forestry Commission Wales, and Environment Agency Wales to form ...
. A much smaller body, the
Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC), supported all three agencies. The English functions of the
Countryside Commission
The Countryside Commission (formally the Countryside Commission for England and Wales, then the Countryside Commission for England) was a statutory body in England and Wales, and later in England only. Its forerunner, the National Parks Commissi ...
went to the newly formed
Countryside Agency
The Countryside Agency was a statutory body set up in England in 1999 with the task of improving the quality of the rural environment and the lives of those living in it. The agency was dissolved in 2006 and its functions dispersed among other bo ...
.
English Nature worked closely with the JNCC and the equivalent bodies for Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland (the
Northern Ireland Environment Agency
The Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) is an executive agency within the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA). It is responsible for conservation of Northern Ireland's environment and natural heritage.
Ori ...
) to bring a consistent approach to nature conservation throughout the United Kingdom and towards fulfilling its international obligations.
The agency ceased to exist in October 2006 following a review by
Lord Haskins, enacted in the
Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006
The Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006 (c 16), also referred to as the NERC Act (2006), is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. In a reorganisation of public bodies involved in rural policy and delivery, the measures d ...
.
Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006
It was integrated with parts of both the Rural Development Service and the Countryside Agency
The Countryside Agency was a statutory body set up in England in 1999 with the task of improving the quality of the rural environment and the lives of those living in it. The agency was dissolved in 2006 and its functions dispersed among other bo ...
from 1 October 2006, to form a new body called Natural England
Natural England is a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. It is responsible for ensuring that England's natural environment, including its land, flora and fauna, ...
.
References
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External links
Natural England
archived in August 2006
Conservation in England
Environmental organisations based in England
Defunct organisations based in England
Defunct public bodies of the United Kingdom
Environmental organizations established in 1990
Government agencies established in 1990
Government agencies disestablished in 2006
1990 establishments in England
2006 disestablishments in England