The Nature Conservancy was a British government agency established in 1949 under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949, drafted in part by Max Nicholson. It was a research council for natural sciences and 'biological service'. This provided legal protection of national nature reserves and Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). In 1966 it was incorporated in to the newly created Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). The Nature Conservancy was separated from the NERC in 1973 and became the Nature Conservancy Council.