ID:
policies-30
Name:
The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981
Issuing organisation:
UK Parliament
Geographical Scope:
England and Wales
Type:
Legistlation
Scientific domain:
physical states, chemistry, geology, and biology
Type of water:
surface and groundwater;
Water management focus:
monitoring; management; protection
Parameter change rate assumption:
Quality
Description:
The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (WCA) is a key piece of environmental legislation in the UK designed to protect wildlife, their habitats, and the countryside. It consolidates and strengthens earlier wildlife protection laws, setting out the legal framework for nature conservation, including the protection of species and habitats, regulation of land use, and the management of wildlife in the UK. The Act was amended by subsequent legislation, notably the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 and the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006, to reflect evolving environmental policies. It is regarded as one of the central pieces of legislation for wildlife protection in the UK.
Status:
Effective
Effect Date:
30 May 1981
Resource:
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1981/69
Recommendations:
Key Species Protected under the Act The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 provides protection to many species, including but not limited to: Birds: All wild birds (except for a few specific species) are protected, and certain species, such as the Golden Eagle, Peregrine Falcon, and Corncrake, are specially protected. Mammals: Species like otters, bats, badgers, and the water vole. Plants: Rare plants such as Lady’s Slipper Orchid and Marsh Saxifrage. Amphibians and Reptiles: For example, great crested newts, adders, and slow worms.
