Government has given a boost to nature in England with the announcement of £30m of funding over three years through the new Wildlife-Rich Habitat Fund.
The money will support National Landscapes and National Parks to spread and scale their nature recovery efforts.
Building on the huge success of the Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) programme, the Wildlife-Rich Habitat Fund will work on the same basis. It will be delivered through the existing FiPL infrastructure with locally-based officers supporting farmers and landowners to develop nature recovery schemes that help meet the aims of the local management plan.
National Landscapes and National Parks together cover 25% of the land area of England and form the backbone of the government’s commitment to achieving the international 30by30 target – to protect 30% of land and sea for nature by 2030.
The money will make a difference in every corner of the country, helping to restore orchards and wetlands on the Isle of Wight, create woodland in the Tamar Valley and bring grassland on the Northumberland Coast back from the brink.
Dr Elaine King, Director of the Chilterns National Landscape said of the new fund:
“We’ll be working with partners to restore and enhance chalk grassland - an internationally rare, wildlife-rich habitat which has declined significantly in the post-war period. It’s home to very special plants and animals such as the Chiltern gentian, Adonis blue butterfly, Duke of Burgundy butterfly and glow worm.”
Habitat for the stunning Adonis Blue butterfly will be restored using the new Wildlife-Rich Habitat funding
The investment comes at a time when a growing body of evidence recognises that thriving nature underpins human health and wellbeing, the wider economy and our ability to withstand the impacts of climate change.
It’s an investment in success too: National Landscapes teams have proven ability to convert national priorities into local delivery, with around a third of peatland in National Landscapes already in restoration, thousands of the right trees planted in the right places, and hundreds of miles of hedgerow habitat created or restored.
Mary-Ann Ochota, independent chair of the Protected Landscapes Partnership, which brings together National Landscapes, National Parks and National Trails, underlined the importance of the investment:
‘Wildlife-rich habitats underpin agricultural productivity, climate resilience, economic security and human health. That’s why we need to consistently treat National Parks and National Landscapes - collectively known as Protected Landscapes, and between them covering 25% of England - as critical national infrastructure. It’s not hyperbole to say that our lives depend on them.’
Read Mary-Ann's blog on the new fund.
