Editing English Nature

{{Short description|Former UK government conservation agency}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2022}}
[[File:English Nature - Ingleborough National Nature Reserve - geograph.org.uk - 283197.jpg|thumb|English Nature - Ingleborough National Nature Reserve]]

'''English Nature''' was the [[Executive agency|United Kingdom government agency]] that promoted the [[Conservation (ethic)|conservation]] of [[wildlife]], [[geology]] and wild places throughout England between 1990 and 2006. It was a [[non-departmental public body]] funded by the [[Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs]] (DEFRA) and gave statutory advice, grants and issued licences.

The [[Nature Conservancy Council]] (NCC) (formerly the Nature Conservancy) was established by the [[National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949]] to cover [[nature conservation]] issues across the whole of [[Great Britain]]. The NCC was split into four by the [[Environmental Protection Act 1990]]—its English duties being given to English Nature. In Scotland, its functions were merged with those of the [[Countryside Commission for Scotland]] to form [[NatureScot|Scottish Natural Heritage]], and similarly in Wales there was a merger to form the [[Countryside Council for Wales]]. A much smaller body, the [[Joint Nature Conservation Committee]] (JNCC), supported all three agencies. The English functions of the [[Countryside Commission]] went to the newly formed [[Countryside Agency]].

English Nature worked closely with the JNCC and the equivalent bodies for Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland (the [[Northern Ireland Environment Agency]]) to bring a consistent approach to nature conservation throughout the United Kingdom and towards fulfilling its international obligations.

The agency ceased to exist in October 2006 following a review by [[Christopher Haskins|Lord Haskins]], enacted in the [[Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006]].<ref>[http://www.defra.gov.uk/rural/ruraldelivery/bill/ Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090413080135/http://www.defra.gov.uk/rural/ruraldelivery/bill/ |date=April 13, 2009 }}</ref> It was integrated with parts of both the [[Rural Development Service]] and the [[Countryside Agency]] from 1 October 2006, to form a new body called [[Natural England]].

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{refbegin}}
*{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3241107.stm|title=Q&A: English Nature|date=4 November 2003|work=BBC News|access-date=2 May 2010}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
*[http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/ Natural England]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060830040858/http://www.english-nature.org.uk/special/nnr/nnr_what.htm National Nature Reserves], archived in August 2006

[[Category:English Nature| ]]
[[Category:Conservation in England]]
[[Category:Environmental organisations based in England]]
[[Category:Defunct organisations based in England]]
[[Category:Defunct public bodies of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Environmental organizations established in 1990]]
[[Category:Government agencies established in 1990]]
[[Category:Government agencies disestablished in 2006]]
[[Category:1990 establishments in England]]
[[Category:2006 disestablishments in England]]