The Government's plans for England's wildlife, countryside and rural and farming communities are being debated by MPs.
Ministers have launched a draft bill on their Rural Strategy. The Natural Environment and Rural Communities Bill will reform the way rural matters are dealt with by the Government and its agencies.
The bill sets up two new bodies to replace the current crop of rural bodies such as English Nature (EN), the Countryside Agency and Rural Development Service.
The demise of English Nature under the new bill must not mean that its vital role as independent advisor and watchdog protecting and extending England's biodiversity is lost.
Friends of the Earth has called on Ministers to ensure the reforms lead to better protection for wildlife species and habitats under pressure from new developments, pollution and deliberate damage.
