The Nature Conservancy

THE NATURE CONSERVANCY A Talk given to Suffolk Naturalists' Society by DR. MARTIN

GEORGE

(Regional Officer of the Nature Conservancy) are now numerous conservation bodies in existence in this country and it is becoming increasingly hard for an amateur naturalist, let alone a layman, to understand the way in which the functions of the various different bodies interlock with one another. However, the first conservation society to be formed was the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds in 1891. This Society was originally pre-occupied with seeking to formulate bird protective legislation, but later it acquired a number of nature reserves of outstanding ornithological interest. Of these, Minsmere, Havergate, and Thorpeness Warren and Mere are all situated in East Suffolk. The National Trust was formed in 1895 and although this body seeks mainly to preserve ancient buildings and other places of historic interest, it has acquired a number of areas of outstanding natural history interest. Blakeney Point, Scolt Head, and Wicken Fen are the best known examples in East Anglia. The Society for the Preservation of Nature Reserves was established in 1916 and this Organisation also acquired a number of nature reserves, of which Mickfield Meadow in East Suffolk is an example. Perhaps better known nationally is Woodwalton Fen which has been leased by this Society to the Nature Conservancy.

THERE

The next landmark in the conservation movement in this country was the formation of the Norfolk Naturalists' Trust in 1922. For many years this Trust was the only Organisation of this type in existence, but numerous similar County Naturalists' Trusts have been formed since the Second World War; that for Suffolk was, as most of you will know, established in 1961.

The Nature Conservancy was established by Royal Charter in 1949 and works under powers conferred upon it by the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act, 1949, and subsequent legislation. The Conservancy's duties are recited in its Charter as follows: "to provide scientific advice on the conservation and control of the natural flora and fauna of Great Britain, to establish, maintain, and manage nature reserves in Great Britain, including the maintenance of physical features of scientific interest; and to organise and develop the research and scientific services related thereto." In 1965, the Conservancy was absorbed into a new body known as the Natural Environment Research Council, but this has not made any difference to the Conservancy's statutory duties.

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The Conservancy is divided into two main branches concerned (a) with research and (b) with conservation. Much of the Con' e s e a r c h w o r k i s carried out at its Research Stations of which Monks Wood in Huntingdon, Furzebrook in Dorset, Bangor in North Wales, and Merlewood in Lancashire are perhaps the best known. A very wide variety of research topics is being studied including work on the ecology of red deer, toxic chemicals, the ecology of heathland, woodland research and mountain grassland studies, and the processes involved in coastal physiogranhic changes. Much of the work of the Conservation Branch is centred on the establishment and management of a series of National Nature Reserves. At present there are about 120 declared reserves in the country as a whole and these ränge in size from the 60 000 acre Cairngorm Reserve to the twenty-five acre oxlip wood in Essex, known as Haies Wood. Most English Reserves are between 200 and 300 acres in extent. In Suffolk the following National Nature Reserves have so far been establishedDeclared Date 1952 1954 1956 1958 These reserves illustrate the three different ways by which the Conservancy can establish National Nature Reserves. In the case of Cavenham Heath, the Conservancy owns the freehold, whilst Ortord Beach, an integral part of Orfordness/Havergate National Nature Reserve, is long leased by the Conservancy from the Mimstry of Defence. Havergate and Thetford Heath are subject to Nature Reserve Agreements with the R.S.P.B. and the Norfolk Naturahsts Trust respectively. Once an area has been formally declared as a National Nature Reserve, it becomes immune from compulsory purchase Orders and is therefore, at least in theory tully safeguarded against harmful forms of development.

Cavenham Heath Orfordness/Havergate Westleton Thetford

Another very important function of the Conservation Branch of the Conservancy is to draw up lists of Sites of Special Scientific Interest and to notify these to the appropriate local Authorities under Section 23 of the National Parks and Access to the Countrvside Act. T h e status of these S.S.S.I's. is much misunderstood and it is important to realise that the Conservancy has no "rights" over the land in question. All that happens, is that the Conservancy has to be notified by the Local Planning Authority if a development apphcation is made in respect of the land thus scheduled. When deciding this planning application, the Local Authority must take into account the Conservancy's comments bimilar liaison arrangements have been made with the Ministry of Agriculture and the Forestry Commission so that proposals to drain and reclaim the land, or afforest it, are referred to the

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Conservancy for comment. Unfortunately, these liaison arrangements with the Ministry of Agriculture have not proved as satisfactory as had once been hoped and the Ministry have ruled that they cannot turn down an application for grant aid for agricultural reclamation or drainage work in the interests solely of nature conservation. This means that if a ploughing grant application is made in respect of a site scheduled by the Conservancy, all we can hope to do is to try and persuade the owner not to proceed with the reclamation scheme, or to safeguard a small part of the area in the interests of its wild life. It will be seen that the scientific interest and research potential of those sites which are capable of being reclaimed for agriculture are constantly in danger of being eroded. T h u s in some cases the somewhat anomalous position can arise wherein the Conservancy is doing its best to safeguard the wild life interest of a certain site, whilst the Ministry of Agriculture is spending public money on its reclamation.

In view of this somewhat unsatisfactory Situation, the Conservancy is constantly reviewing its list of S.S.S.I's. and it is with this task that local Natural History Societies such as yours have a vital part to play. Even now, nearly eighteen years after the Conservancy was established, we are still discovering sites of great natural history interest which we have never been told about before. It is of the utmost importance that these sites be brought to our attention now so we can take steps to safeguard them before any untoward development or reclamation proposals are made in respect of them. I am glad to take this opportunity to appeal to you, and your fellow members, to assist us with this task. I am well aware that some naturalists express anxiety lest the location of rare species becomes more widely known if the Conservancy is told about their occurrence. This is, of course, a thoroughly understandable feeling but I would like to point out that the Conservancy is extremely security conscious in such matters. Information about sites for rare breeding birds, insects, and plants is kept under lock and key and strict instructions have been issued to ensure that such records are not divulged outside our Organisation.

T o turn now to the problems of the future. I think we must expect to suffer further erosion of those S.S.S.I's. in the country liable to agricultural reclamation works. However, until new legislation aimed at strenthening the Conservancy's hands in resisting such threats is provided by Parliament, very little can be done save by maintaining close personal contacts with the owners of such sites and by drawing up a list of alternative areas which could be scheduled if the areas of prime interest are destroyed. T h e increasing pressure on the countryside is another obvious problem which will increase during the next few years and will be particularly acute near the expanded town of Ipswich.

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Anyone who has driven through the Essex countryside on a summer Sunday afternoon will appreciate that very large numbers of people like to come out to the country in their cars, but once there have little idea of what to do. The obvious Solution is to provide regional country parks of the type referred to in the recent White Paper on "Leisure in the Countryside". Such parks feature in the planning consultant's proposals for the expansion of Ipswich and Peterborough and, in my view, have an extremely important role to play in our efforts to safeguard the countryside.

A further obvious hazard that we shall have to contend with in East Anglia is the problem of North Sea Gas but it seems rather unlikely at the moment whether any gas installations will be required on the coast of East Suffolk. Such an installation has, however, already been proposed for Bacton on the north-east Norfolk coast, and some feel this may bring in its wake profound changes in the economy of this County.

I have said little about the work of the Suffolk Naturalists' Trust because I know many of you present will be members. I should, however, like to pay tribute to the work it is carrying out.

Already this Trust has acquired three nature reserves, namely Redgrave and Lopham Fens, Lakenheath Poor's Fen, and Wangford Warren, and we look forward, in due course, to hearing that further areas have been safeguarded.