Letters

Forest and Bird, Volume 21, Issue 1, 1 February 1990, Page 43

Letters

Director of

Finance, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, United Kingdom.

Auckland:

David Gordon,

J.W. Parsons,

Dear Sir I was interested to read the paragraph on page 6 of the August issue concerning events in the United Kingdom. I am glad to tell you the report was a little premature. It is true that former Environment Secretary Nicholas Ridley had asked the Nature Conservancy Council to look at the possibility of "selling off’ nature reserves currently in the ownership of the NCC. There does not appear to be any enthusiasm for this course of action from any quarter and no actual proposals have been brought forward by the Government. Consequently the "sell off’ proposals, if there were any, have been shelved. I must also take you up on the comment in the magazine suggesting that the role of the RSPB may change from being nature advocates to reserve managers. The RSPB has no intention of allowing that to happen. Far from damaging the RSPB's role as nature advocate, the ownership of land supports it. One is able to speak with the experience of managing land for birds, while the existence of nature reserves provides a presence from which to generate increased support for

RSPB. Finally, may I compliment you on the outstanding quality of your magazine, which | find both interesting and stimulating reading. Yours etc

Dear Sir, Coming from a farming background I found your article on the ferret and the poor controls placed on their farming enlightening and rather concerning. For my part, I had always thought that this animal was classed as "noxious" in New Zealand and treated accordingly.