Triennial Review of the Environment Agency and Natural England
On 12 December 2012, Environment Secretary Owen Paterson announced
the start of the Triennial Review of the Environment Agency and Natural
England. This follows a period of informal engagement with stakeholders,
which started in July.
Preliminary conclusions will be available in spring 2013.
Anyone with an interest in the Environment Agency and Natural England is invited to respond to the discussion document by 4 February 2013. The discussion and response documents and further information is available from:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/review-ea-ne/
This is part of Government’s rolling programme of triennial reviews of
Non-Departmental Public Bodies to consider whether the functions carried
out by the body are still required and whether the delivery model is
right and offers value for money.
Canoe England would also be interested to receive views from members. This can be sent to
[email protected]
Marine Conservation Zones: Consultation on proposals for designation in 2013
The Environment Minister, Richard Benyon, has announced (13 December
2012) the start of the public consultation on Marine Conservation Zones
(MCZs). The consultation document and annexes can be viewed at http://www.defra.gov.uk/consult/open/.
The public consultation will run until midnight on 31 March 2013, and
will give everyone with an interest in the marine environment the
opportunity to provide more evidence on the proposed designation
decisions before they are finalised.
Canoe England would also be interested to receive views from members. This can be sent to
[email protected]
Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs Access Newsletter No. 50, May 2012
The newsletter covers the latest position on coastal access, details
of consultations on rights of way and National Trails, and the launch of
the Paths for Communities scheme.
Red Tape Challenge – Water and Marine Theme
February 2012
The Government’s ‘Red Tape Challenge’ was launched in April last year to
open up Government regulation to the scrutiny and challenge of the
public, businesses and experts. On the Red Tape Challenge website,
regulations are divided into themes, each featured on the front page for
a ‘spotlight’ period of around five weeks.
The Water and Marine theme will be in the spotlight from 17 February
till the 23 March and will include: flood and coastal erosion; water
quality; water resource; inland waterways*, fisheries and marine
conservation
You can leave your comments and ideas on the regulations on the website
http://www.redtapechallenge.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/home/index/ or send a private submission to the Red Tape Team at [email protected]
The Red Tape Challenge website is being used to gather innovative ideas
on how the aims of regulations can be fulfilled in the most successful
and least burdensome ways. There is no intention to reduce environmental
protection.
Marine Strategy Framework Directive Consultation: UK Initial Assessment and proposals for Good Environmental Status
Consultation Start: 27 March 2012
Consultation End: 18 June 2012
For the UK, the directive is part of a package of policies, united by our vision for ‘clean, healthy, safe, productive, and biologically diverse oceans and seas’. The directive’s aims are consistent with this vision and current policies, such as the implementation of the Marine and Coastal Access Act, and the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy will play a major role in helping us achieve Good Environmental Status (GES).
The directive is very wide-ranging and sets out eleven descriptors of GES relating to biological diversity, non-indigenous species introductions, commercially exploited fish and shellfish populations, food webs, human-induced eutrophication, sea floor integrity, hydrographical conditions, concentrations of contaminants, contaminants in fish and other seafood, litter, and noise.
Further Information
Find more information on the MSFD including consultation Q&A and factsheets by
using this link
Kayak Recycling Project
The Environment Agency is encouraging people to have their say on the
future of water sport and leisure development in London and the South
East and the Midlands with the launch of public consultations for its
Enjoying Water projects.
The Environment Agency has been developing its Enjoying Water plan that
aims to place the environment at the heart of future opportunities to
develop water recreation. The final plan will help decision makers such
as local authorities take an informed view on how to create, protect
and improve water sports and leisure development across London and the
South East.
In developing the plan the Environment Agency has already spoken to more
than 220 recreation users and managers of water based activities, and
sites to gather their views, and is now encouraging anyone else with an
interest in water sports and leisure pursuits to visit www.brighton.ac.uk/waterrecreation/ and comment on the findings and opinions already expressed. The consultation is open from 5 July until 30 September 2010.
Strategic Plans for the South West England, East of England and North
West of England have also been produced by consultants from the
University of Brighton and are available from www.brighton.ac.uk/waterrecreation/.
A New Era for the Waterways Consultation – DEFRA