The LCSP is a group of government, private and charity organisations. In 2003 the partners had a vision to restore this rare Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) 'priority' habitat found throughout the Lincolnshire Wolds AONB. The group worked with limited resources before committing to employ a member of staff in 2006 to lead and drive the project to deliver the vision,

‘Lincolnshire’s chalk streams should be protected or restored to a quality which sustains the high conservation value of their wildlife, healthy water supplies, recreation opportunities and their place in the character and cultural history of the AONB landscape and wider areas’.

In addition to securing habitat improvements on chalk springs and streams, as part of a landscape-scale approach, the strength of the project has been in drawing together professionals, volunteers, community groups, anglers, landowners and farmers to make a difference on the ground. Examples of the types of habitat improvements made are installation of riffles, cattle drinking points, log flow deflectors, re-grading banks, hedgerow maintenance and planting of riparian plants.

Since 2006 the project has implemented active management on over a quarter of the total length of chalk streams and their tributaries within the AONB landscape. The project has been successful in receiving financial contributions from the partners and in applying for funding to restore the AONB chalk streams, receiving a total of over £439,492 from both public and private sector sources, in addition to the in kind contributions from communities, landowners and farmers.

The future is for the LCSP to continue to be self-sustaining and work with a wide range of partners to raise awareness, deliver on-the-ground habitat improvements, instil best practice with land management and continue to bring in funding to the AONB.

Find out more - www.lincolnshirechalkstreams.org