§ Baroness Hamweeasked Her Majesty's Government:
What measures they will take to protect wildlife dependent on hedgerows and forested land, including scarce birds such as nightjars and woodlarks.
§ Baroness Denton of WakefieldThe 1981 Wildlife and Countryside Act, which enacts the Government's wildlife conservation obligations under the EC Birds Directive, provides strong protection for all bird species occurring naturally in the wild. The Act gives special protection to the most endangered species such as the 157WA woodlark. Additionally the Government have already designated a number of protection areas to protect the habitat of nightjars and woodlarks and further important sites for these species are currently included in the UK's accelerated Special Protection Area designation programme.
The Hedgerow Incentive Scheme, administered by the Countryside Commission, offers incentives to farmers and landowners to introduce beneficial management of hedgerows reflecting the interests of wildlife. All grant-aided forestry planting must follow environmental guidelines and conservation grants are also available for existing forests.