The venerable Charles Rangeley-Wilson — contributor, author, and chair of the CaBA chalk stream restoration group — wrote to us this week to ask for help spreading the word about a new petition. Started by Sophie Holloway, the petition urges the government not to drop the proposed and much-needed Chalk Stream Recovery Strategy.

Charles contextualises the petition:

‘A few years ago I was invited to chair and oversee the creation of a national strategy for protecting and restoring chalk streams. Working with countless other passionate people and with all the key players, the regulators, industry and eNGOs in support, we put together a collaborative national restoration plan that will — if the actions are followed on — make a considerable difference. It is a simple and universally agreed strategy for addressing — in practical and pragmatic ways — abstraction, water pollution and habitat restoration. Under the last government we even got to the point where the Minister promised a Defra policy document called the Defra Chalk Stream Recovery Pack. I know what was in that document because I negotiated with Defra over its contents and wrote it for and with them. But foot-dragging over certain key issues delayed publication and then, when the election came along, the plan was put on hold. Now the new government has shelved it, or in fact binned it (see The Times pieces here and here).

This is no way to deliver environmental improvement. No matter one’s politics it is obvious that we will only resolve the issues that impact our rivers if the government of the day — and those who influence their decision-making — can rise above party politics and build continuity into our approach to protecting and restoring the environment.’

You can find out more and sign the petition here.

All chalk stream images also kindly sent by Charles.