Grasslands petition being handed in to Owen Paterson

More than 7,000 signatures have been collected by the Wildlife Trusts through an e-petition over the last few weeks.

The petition will now be handed to the North Shropshire MP tomorrrow at The Boathouse in Ellesmere by Shropshire Wildlife Trust's chief executive, Colin Preston, and chairman of the Ellesmere branch of the trust, Cath Price.

Sarah Gibson, spokeswoman for Shropshire Wildlife Trust, said: "Flower-rich grasslands are under threat from development, changes in land-use and farming practices, neglect and mismanagement.

"Wildlife-rich grasslands have often developed over hundreds of years, rich tapestries of plants which are vital for bees, butterflies and other insects.

"Undisturbed grassland is ideal for hunting barn owls and other wildlife; for securing soils and enabling landscapes to hold and filter water, preventing flooding and pollution and for carbon storage.

"These beautiful and valuable habitats are vanishing and the dazzling array of species that depend on them are under threat.

"Traditionally-managed meadows and grazing pastures have been in trouble for decades, but a recent report put together by the Wildlife Trusts shows that the tiny fraction of species-rich grasslands that remain are still at risk.

"More than 98 per cent of the flower rich hay meadows which existed 100 years ago have already disappeared.

"Bumblebees have declined massively over recent decades, mainly as a result of the widespread loss of flower-rich grasslands during the last 75 years.

"Several species have become extinct and others are now endangered. Their continued decline has serious implications for the natural landscape and for agriculture.

"In Shropshire last year 26 per cent of species-rich grasslands surveyed had declined in condition or been entirely destroyed.

"The government is currently making decisions on how it will implement the greening measures of the Common Agricultural Policy and how it will target grants to farmers in the future.

"The Wildlife Trusts are calling for a full review of existing protection for environmentally valuable grasslands and asking the government to improve existing laws and policies and effectively enforce them."

Ms Gibson added trusts are also calling on the government to support wildlife-rich grasslands on farmland, reward farmers for managing wildlife-rich grasslands and award statutory protection to more grassland sites that deserve it.

Mr Paterson was unavailable to comment.