THE role of business in funding wildlife projects in the region has been praised by a Government minister.
A total of £1.5m has been made available for projects in the region in the Enriching Nature programmes, run by the Sita Trust, using money paid by companies into the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme.
The first North-East projects awarded funding were Tees Valley Wildlife Trust, given £24,295 to test management techniques on small urban sites, and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), given £64,358 to restore reedbeds at Saltholme, in the Tees Valley, where the RSPB and the Teesside Environmental Trust are creating a nature reserve.
A total of £500,000 will be allocated each year in the North-East for the next three years.
Biodiversity Minister Jim Knight said: "There is always more to be done in our conservation efforts, and this funding will help more projects get started sooner. "
John Leaver, chairman of Sita Trust, said: "We need to invest much more in conservation work in England, and this funding will help address the decline in biodiversity."
Published: 28/03/2006
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