Memorandum submitted by the Leicestershire
and Rutland Wildlife Trust (TNF 07)
The Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust
is very supportive of The National Forest and has been involved
with it since the beginning.
The Trust's remit is for nature conservation
and we believe that The National Forest offers tremendous potential
for enhancing biodiversity in one of the most ecologically impoverished
areas in Britain. In the early years we were concerned that too
much emphasis was being placed on tree planting, which might not
necessarily benefit wildlife. Our hope had been for a "patchwork"
landscape, the design of which would ensure the survival of old
meadows and other existing good wildlife habitats, create new
habitats and knit all of these into one functioning entity. This
would allow wildlife to move through the landscape, assist with
adaptation to climate change and provide a wonderful place for
people to work and experience nature.
We are delighted that in recent times The National
Forest has improved its approach to nature conservation and has
started to develop some excellent initiatives. The Trust works
closely with National Forest staff, who are very helpful and professional.
January 2010
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