Consultation 'vital' before golden eagles return to England

Charities and organisations across northern England have welcomed the government's support for the reintroduction of golden eagles, but say "consultation is critical" to its success. A Forestry England study identified eight areas suitable for a release including the North Pennines, the Cheviots in Northumberland and the Lake District. The Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds has approved £1m of additional funding for a programme which could see juveniles released as early as summer 2027. Chris Woodley-Stewart Director of the North Pennines National Landscape said it was "exciting news", but he wants to see farmers and landowners "fully engaged in how any re-introduction might take place". "Of course we want to maximise the biodiversity of the North Pennines, but these are the people that own and manage the land and it's critical they're on board too," he said. Golden eagles were wiped out in England and Wales by the mid-19th Century, mainly due to persecution by those who saw them as a threat to livestock or game birds. Despite a brief return following the two world wars, when driven shoots largely ceased, numbers gradually declined again with the last resident golden eagle in Engl