Latest news with #Bence
BBC News
20 hours ago
- Politics
- BBC News
New Forest Park Authority at 'crossroads' as it marks 20 years
An organisation caring for the New Forest is "at a crossroads", its chairman has Bence said the New Forest National Park Authority, which was set up 20 years ago, faced "serious challenges" over the next two said post-Brexit farming schemes were not suited to the commoning system of grazing and there had been a decline in cattle numbers due to reduced support payments and rising Bence said: "Without urgent action, we risk losing the conservation benefits commoning provides - not just for the forest, but for the nation." The New Forest remains one of the few lowland areas where commoners release animals on to the open free-roaming ponies, cattle and pigs help shape the forest's landscapes, which are home to rare flora and out its priorities for the next 20 years, the authority said housing and development pressures were testing the balance between conservation and community need. Under government plans, Hampshire's councils will also become a single devolved authority, and Mr Bence called for the forest's unique needs to be recognised when budgets and financial settlements are drawn said: "Twenty years ago we were entrusted with a responsibility - to protect, preserve, and enhance this special place for generations to come. "Now we stand at a crossroads - with devolution, local government reorganisation, climate transition, and agricultural reform all converging at once."These bring serious challenges, but also rare opportunities - to reinforce protections for the forest, formally recognise its unique culture, support a vibrant green economy, and shape a resilient future for both nature and people."At the heart of this future must be the protection of the forest's integrity... its landscapes, ecosystems, communities and traditions. "This must be the guiding test for any new proposals that arise from policy change." You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
CBC
24-03-2025
- Business
- CBC
Sask. walks back ban on American-branded beer made in Canada
Saskatchewan has reversed a decision to stop selling or distributing American-branded alcohol products made in Canada, after industry backlash. In wake of U.S. tariffs, the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA) said it notified beverage alcohol retailers, distributors and producers that American-branded products wouldn't be sold or distributed in the province. The SLGA originally released a list of 54 American alcohol brands, including Bud Light, Blue Moon, Busch, Kirkland Wine and others. Industry leaders like Jim Bence, the president and CEO of Hospitality Saskatchewan, argued many of the American beer brands that have headquarters in the U.S. are still brewed in Canada. Labatt Breweries of Canada says it employs about 3,500 people in the country and brews brands like Bud Light, Busch and Budweiser in Canada. Beer Canada also called on the province to reverse its decision. "Beer Canada is calling on Premier Moe's government to immediately reverse this heavy-handed market intervention, which inappropriately targets leading Canadian beer brands brewed in Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, and Québec that are most often made from Saskatchewan and other Western Canadian-grown barley," a news release from the organization stated. On Monday, the government walked back its decision. It said in a statement that the move aligned with other provinces and that it would focus on alcohol produced in the U.S. "We have spent a lot of time speaking with stakeholders within the industry such as Hospitality Saskatchewan, speaking with the public, talking to some of our local distributors," Alana Ross, the minister responsible for SLGA, said on Monday. "We weren't really in line with what the other provinces were doing, so we took it back." The province said the sale and distribution of the 54 Canadian-produced American brands will resume. Bence said he appreciated the government's willingness to take feedback on the issue. "We applaud their ability to be able to [reverse the decision] and their willingness to look at information and roll back some of the pieces that they had implemented last week," Bence said. CBC has requested a list of American-made beers the province will now focus on.
