Natural England

Introduction

The natural environment matters

The State of the Natural Environment 2008 brings together for the first time the evidence we have about the current situation in our natural environment

The report demonstrates that the natural environment in England is much less rich than 50 years ago and remains under pressure from a significant range of threats. It illustrates the impact of those threats on our landscapes and biodiversity.

'The State of the Natural Environment' shows that our natural environment is not well placed to withstand the challenges.

Why it matters

The state of the natural environment matters to everyone in the North East. It is an essential regional asset that provides the foundations for our economic and social well being.

A healthy natural environment provides essential public services, such as

• Clean air, clean water and productive soils
• Support for economic activity and sustainable energy production
• Security against the impacts of climate change
• A natural health service, contributing to people's health and wellbeing
• Places to experience and enjoy the natural world

Action is needed now

Natural England is, in its Manifesto for the natural environment [720 kB], calling for action to be taken now by national, regional and local government, businesses and communities to put England on a greener path to a more secure future, while conserving the nation's rich and diverse natural environment.

The State of the Natural Environment in the North East

Landscape

• The North East has a very high proportion of designated landscapes, 30% of the area in comparison to 8% nationally.
• While the North East has with only 80 sites the smallest number of geo-features of any of the regions with the exception of London, it has the highest proportion of SSSI with geo-features in favourable condition at 91%.
• The North East also has the largest of the three English Geoparks (The North Pennines) and has thereby a significant responsibility to protect England's geodiversity.
• The North East region has several joint (landscape) character areas (JCA) which are classified as "neglected", all of them outside landscape designations.
• Moor House/Upper Teesdale is the largest of the 3 English Biosphere reserves (7149 ha)
• After London, the North East region has the lowest number of English commons (only 221 which is 3% of the national total)

Biodiversity

The North East is a region with nationally and internationally significant biodiversity:

• 29 of the 58 habitats on the original UK BAP list of priority habitats
• Over 20% of England's upland heathlands and England's blanket bog in addition to 15% of England's sand dunes
• The English stronghold of the red squirrel
• 70% of the known English and Welsh sites for the large heath butterfly
• The largest juniper colony in England and 80 - 90% of the UK population of the rare and protected yellow marsh saxifrage
• The largest inland breeding population of Kittiwakes in the UK (Tyne Bridge)
• 75% of England's grey seal population.

Enjoying the natural environment

Nationally there are around 763 million rural leisure visits made in England each year, the North East has a good share of those visitors:

• Over 500,000 visits are made to Lindisfarne National Nature Reserve (the second highest number of visits to a Natural England managed NNR) every year (2005)
• More than 15 million visits to the Northumberland National Park were made in 2005.
• The North East region has the highest percentage of it's area mapped as open access (18.4%) which complements walking as being the most popular recreational activity (36%).
• The majority of people engaging with the Natural Environment however do so by using green spaces close to where they live, whether it be a village green, country park or Local Nature Reserve.
• The highest number of Doorstep Greens were developed in the region (28) which provide additional opportunities for local interaction and usage.

Meeting the challenge in the North East

There is a need to have biodiversity and the natural environment recognised as a key component of sustainability, in local and regional plans, policies and programmes. We will achieve these goals through continued partnership working.

Through Local Biodiversity partnerships and the North East Biodiversity Forum we will address the continued decline in some priority habitats and species caused by inappropriate land management practises and other factors and face the additional challenges posed by climate change. We will support this by targeting Environmental Stewardship resources at priority areas. We will address deficiencies of baseline data availability by liaising with key partners, such as the Wildlife Trusts. With landscape-scale partnerships that lie outside designated areas, such as the Magnesian Limestone Natural Area Partnership and the emerging Druridge Bay partnership, Natural England in the North East will meet obligations arising from the European Landscape Convention.

We will engage with local planning authorities and other stakeholders, in particular in the proposed New Growth Points, to plan for and develop Green Infrastructure networks. Central to this will be our work with partners to maintain, enhance or create local green spaces, aligning our work with the priorities on Environmental Infrastructure as identified in the North East Strategy for the Environment.

How to find out more information and get involved

'The State of the Natural Environment 2008' report contains more data, maps and case studies for this Region. The report and resource documents (with more information not included in the main report) can be found at www.naturalengland.org.uk/sone.

In the North East there are a number of ways you can find out more:

• Natural England North East
• The North East Strategy for the Environment
• North East Biodiversity Forum

Regional Contact: Susie Craddock (susie.craddock@naturalengland.org.uk), Natural England North East External Affairs Team