The case for a Wilderness Directive Louise Waddell- LLB Simon Boyle, Solicitor

What is wilderness? WILD Foundation The most intact, undisturbed wild areas left on our planet Area is wild if biologically intact and legally protected WILD is international organisation, based in Boulder, Colorado, dedicated to wilderness protection around the world

What is wilderness? United States Wilderness Act 1964 A wilderness, in contrast with those areas where man and his own works dominate the landscape, is hereby recognized as an area where the earth and community of life are untrammelled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain.”

How much wilderness is there left? International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) 2003 report Found that only 10.9% of the world's land mass is currently a Category 1- i.e. nature reserve or protected wilderness The wildest regions of the world include Antarctica, the tundra, the taiga, the Amazonian rain forest, the Tibetan Plateau, the Australian Outback and deserts such as the Sahara, and the Gobi.

How much wilderness is there left? Wilderness Foundation UK Europe’s land mass, less than 1% features wilderness- predominantly in Finland, Sweden, Norway, Ukraine and Western Russia. Europe’s last remaining primeval forest, Bialowieza in Poland (was Royal hunting reserve)

Bialowieza Forest

How much wilderness is there left? In UK there remain some remnants of wilderness – mainly in Scotland, e.g. Knoydart, parts of Cairngorms A few remnants of the Caledonian forest that once spread across much of Scotland In England- no real Wilderness areas (despite having 12 National Parks)

Knoydart

Can wilderness be restored? Wilderness (as opposed to pristine land) can be actively restored to some degree. In Scotland the charity Trees for Life is working with landowners and the Forestry Commission to restore ancient forest, which has 99% vanished from the Highlands.

Changing attitude to Wilderness Man’s relationship to nature has been complex The industrial revolution begun in 1750s the biggest attempt to control and tame nature. Many voices of protest against this: Wordsworth- ‘A wilderness is rich with liberty’ Thoreau- ‘In wilderness is the preservation of the world’ Now science is understanding what Thoreau means.

Changing attitude to Wilderness Wilderness – means undisturbed habitat which is essential if we are to halt the current mass extinction of the natural world Up to 27,000 species a year may be lost (75 a day)- mainly through loss of habitat

European Protection Habitats Directive Birds Directive Natura 2000 Designated Sites Water Framework Directive These all critical but no Directive on Wilderness for its own right

EU Development European Parliament Resolution, Wilderness in Europe, 3, Feb 2009 ‘Restoration of Europe’s last wilderness areas are vital to halting the loss of biodiversity’ ‘Calls on the commission to develop an EU Wilderness strategy’ ‘Calls on the Commission and the Member States to develop wilderness areas’

EU Development May 2009 meeting in Prague ‘Message from Prague’ Supported European Parliament Should identify and promote opportunities within the 2012 review of Common Agricultural Policy Supported by European Centre for Nature Conservation

UK legislation National Parks – 15 in Britain ▫Environment Act 1995 ▫National Parks (Scotland) Act 2000 ▫Aim to conserve and enhance the land, and promote sustainable development of the land Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004 ▫Imposes duty to protect biodiversity and protect natural heritage. ▫Strengthens protection of SSSI’s

US Legislation Wilderness Act 1964 Covers 106 million acres (429,000 km²) Once a wilderness area has been added to the System, its protection and boundary can only be altered by another act of Congress.

US Legislation Omnibus Land Management Act 2009 Signed by President Obama in March 2009 Protects further 2 million acres of wilderness ‘a major victory for environmentalists, nature lovers and future generations. Millions of acres will be preserved as a legacy for future generations’

Conclusion Some countries, such as USA recognise wilderness and provide high level of legal protection Europe currently does not- however an important start has been made The loss of biodiversity is probably the most serious threat facing this planet and every species The creation of legally protected Wilderness areas in EU is a vital step forward