A petition to protect rare red squirrels from habitat loss and population decline.
“It's illegal to kill or injure a red squirrel. Yet a forest containing them is not protected and can be cut down.” - Craig Shuttleworth, Petitioner.
The petition raised awareness of:
- the Government not being able to refuse a felling licence, even if habitats are lost
- the decline in the number of red squirrels
- state owned forests not having to annually report on the impact of felling on red squirrel populations.
What happened?
- Petition was debated in the Senedd chamber on 8 December 2021.
- Welsh Government pledged to amend legislation to protect red squirrels, including adding provisions to change, suspend or revoke felling licences.
See all the Nominations for Petition of the Year 2022