Safeguarding wild England

In England, our rarest and most vulnerable wildlife and habitats are protected by national and international designations. These include more than 4,000 Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), as well as Ramsar sites, Special Protected Areas (SPAs) for birds and Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) for other wildlife and habitats.

All sites are protected from most developments and must be managed to maintain favourable conditions for the wildlife which live there.

Any development that could cause damage to a protected site must be thoroughly assessed, and if negative impacts cannot be ruled out, it can only be allowed to proceed under exceptional circumstances.

Where a development does pass the strict tests required to justify damage, it can only proceed once new habitat, that fully compensates for the loss, has been created.

Protected sites alone are not enough. There are many places of county and local significance which must be conserved if wildlife is to thrive.

For species that are widespread but still in decline, policy initiatives that cover the wider countryside, like those that support more environmentally friendly farming, are vital.

The RSPB works on its reserves and with partners to protect England's special wildlife places from damage and improve their management.

We also recognise that wildlife does not follow national boundaries, and we work to support and promote the protections for wildlife and habitat offered in several international conventions, to which the UK is a signatory.