An online petition calling for the Government to “change outdated laws to prevent forest felling when baby animals are in nests” has the support of Helen Butler MBE, the founder of the Isle of Wight Red Squirrel Trust.
Helen says,
“Please sign this petition to help wildlife babies – Change outdated laws to prevent forest felling when baby animals are in nests.
“Under the 1967 Forestry Act licences to fell woodland cannot include enforceable conditions to safeguard our rarest wildlife such as red squirrels, bats, dormice.”
The petition
The petition reads:
Under the 1967 Forestry Act licences to fell woodland cannot include enforceable conditions to safeguard our rarest wildlife such as red
squirrels, bats, dormice.Woodlands are routinely clear-felled or left with only a few trees containing squirrel nests. There is always a risk that young animals are either shredded or crushed by such felling.
The public want ethically harvested timber so felling licences need enforceable conditions to protect wildlife. The Government should amend Forestry legislation so this is the case in England, as it already is in Scotland
The Red Squirrel is much-loved on the Isle of Wight, one of the last remaining places in the UK where they can be found.
Show your support
At time of publishing the petition has attracted 1,162 signatures, but needs at least 10,000 in order to elicit a response from the Government, or 100,000 signatures for it to be considered for debate in Parliament.
You can add your name by heading over to the Government’s Petition Website.
Visit the Website for the Isle of Wight Red Squirrel Trust to find out more about their work on the Island.
Image: © Sleeping baby red squirrels – courtesy of Helen Butler MBE
