A National Audit Office (NAO) report has revealed that Natural England is on track to reach its target at bringing 95 per cent of Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) into favourable or recovering condition by December 2010.

The NAO found that at the end of March 2008, more than 78,000 hectares (192,742 acres) of land was returned target condition in the previous twelve months, taking the total area of English SSSIs in favourable or recovering condition to 83 per cent. Five years ago, the figure was just 57 per cent. There are currently 4,114 SSSIs in England, covering an area of more than 1 million hectares (2,471,054 acres). First established in 1949, the sites provide a network for wildlife and geological conservation, and Natural England's target is designed to maintain the ecological diversity of the sites.

Helen Phillips, chief executive of Natural England, said: "SSSIs are of vital importance to biodiversity in England and after much hard work and investment, they are now in a better state than they have been for years. However, all too often they remain isolated pockets of wildlife richness in a wider countryside where biodiversity is diminishing. “To guarantee the long term survival of our wildlife and build in resilience to climate change, we need to address the environmental health of entire landscapes, focusing on wide-scale restoration of habitats and ecosystems.

"Beyond 2010, work to secure the long term health of the countryside must move beyond the confines of small reserves and ensure that wider land management has the care of the natural environment at its heart."