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SREP Home | News & Events | ECOnet Feasibility Study | An Ecological Network for People and Wildlife | SREP Projects | ECOnet Toolkit | Life ECOnet Project | Feedback
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The Life ECOnet Project (1999 – 2003) was supported by the Life-Environment Programme of the European Commission to demonstrate in Cheshire (United Kingdom) and Emilia-Romagna and Abruzzo (Italy) how ecological networks can help achieve more sustainable land use planning and management, as well as overcome the problems of habitat loss, fragmentation and species isolation. Partners from the Netherlands who are pioneers in developing ecological networks advised the Project.
The Life ECOnet Project demonstrated many of the key issues at the core of European, UK, regional and local environmental policy. In Cheshire, the Project has:
- Defined a strategic framework for nature conservation in Cheshire to 2020
- Set habitat priorities and targets for the development of the network
- Provided practical guidance for implementation in the form of a web-based toolkit
- Secured political and social acceptance for the concept of expanded and linked areas for wildlife, with over 1500 people involved
- Incorporated the network concept into regional and local policies, for example, Regional Planning Guidance and the Cheshire Community Strategy
- Demonstrated the integration of the network concept into farming, forestry, land regeneration and the restoration of mineral workings and landfill sites
- Collated 800 road wildlife casualties and highlighted the conflicts between roads and wildlife
- Raised awareness through the project website, articles, posters, presentations and publications
The Project was (and still is) the only ecological network initiative in the UK. It has received widespread recognition and praise throughout Europe, and in addition was showcased by the Local Government Association at the World Summit in Johannesburg in 2002.
Find out more information about the Life ECOnet Project.
The Life ECOnet Project was the demonstration phase of Cheshire County Council’s long-term ambition to create an ecological network in Cheshire by 2020AD. Its findings and outputs have been taken forward into a Feasibility Study to assess the economic and social benefits that would arise from the creation of the network, and the preparation of a Development Plan to implement the network - the Sandstone Ridge ECOnet Partnership.
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