Bethany Turner

3 weeks ago | cla.org.uk | Bethany Turner

At the CLA we spend a lot of time looking at how relations between our members and regulatory bodies could be improved. As part of this work, we recently fed into a review of Defra regulators led by the economist Dan Corry, which has had its findings published this week. We highlighted the issues members face with complex regulation, slow responses, and risk-averse approaches.

1 month ago | cla.org.uk | Bethany Turner

Beaver reintroductions have become increasingly common in England, but so far have either been ‘captive releases’ or illegal releases. Last week, Defra announced that Natural England would be able to issue ‘wild release’ licenses from now on. This follows a consultation on wild release licensing in 2021, which the CLA responded to. One wild release license has already been granted in Purbeck in Dorset, where four beavers have now been released.

Jan 23, 2025 | cla.org.uk | Bethany Turner

Each year, the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP), England’s environmental watchdog, publishes a report which summarises the government’s progress towards its environmental targets. Like last year, the report identifies a worrying lack of progress, which was mostly attributed to a lack of proper delivery plans. This year, the OEP has concluded that even less progress has been made than the year before.

Nov 20, 2024 | cla.org.uk | Bethany Turner

Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRSs) are an initiative to cover England with a map of opportunities for nature recovery, introduced by the Environment Act 2021. There are 48 LNRSs in development, with each finished strategy including a map and a ‘statement of biodiversity priorities’. The aim for the local authority charged with creating the strategy is to engage local stakeholders, including farmers and land managers. Some of the strategies are likely to be completed much earlier than others.

Nov 7, 2024 | cla.org.uk | Bethany Turner

In 2020, the UK Government made a commitment to protecting 30% of land and sea for nature by 2030 – known as 30by30. This is a worldwide initiative aiming to halt the decline of nature globally, which more than 100 countries have signed up to. Last week, Defra provided an update on its plans to deliver 30by30 on land in England, and gave criteria for what land uses might count towards the target. This follows almost a year of stakeholder engagement, which the CLA has been heavily involved in.