Twenty-one wildlife sites on Ministry of Defence land in the North-East and North Yorkshire will be guaranteed future protection by the military, following an accord signed yesterday.
The Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) are guaranteed protection under the new agreement, signed by the MoD and English Nature.
It is an extension of an agreement, first signed in 1988, which has been revised several times, and is now being updated in line with new nature protection laws.
As part of the deal, English Nature undertakes to provide advice on the nature conservation interest and management of the sites which occupy MoD land that might otherwise be at risk from weapons testing and troop training.
The military is committed to both protect and enhance the SSSIs on their land, and to the UK Biodiversity Action Plan looking after vulnerable British wildlife.
The sites include several used by the Otterburn army training camp in Northumbria, Stainton Moor and Fylingdales in North Yorkshire, sites near Boulmer on the Northumbrian coast, and the Whitburn ranges on the Durham coast.
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