Farming News - Natural England: Over 350 threatened species to benefit from record government investment
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Natural England: Over 350 threatened species to benefit from record government investment
· 130 projects encompassing 364 threatened species to receive funding from £60 million from Natural England's Species Recovery Programme as part of the government's Wild Again: Restoring England's Wildlife initiative
· Species to benefit across England range from the lapwing and water vole to the swallowtail butterfly and white-clawed crayfish
· Funding will support plant and wildlife across woodlands, farmed landscapes, freshwater and marine environments
The swallowtail butterfly and white-clawed crayfish are just two of the species set to benefit from the £60 million largest ever investment in recovering the country's threatened plants, animals and fungi, supporting 130 projects across England.
Since 1970, wildlife populations have fallen by a third, with one in six species at risk of extinction in Great Britain including some of our most treasured wildlife. Projects supported through the programme will target 364 threatened species, from birds to beetles, moths to mammals, spiders to snails and sharks to seahorses, to bring us closer to our goal of a wilder, healthier country for generations to come.
Farmed landscapes have seen some of the sharpest declines in wildlife, yet healthy ecosystems are the foundation of productive, resilient agriculture. A number of projects will support farmers and land managers to restore nature alongside food production, for example, projects that support the recovery of pollinator species and their habitats will, in turn, support crop yields.
"Nearly one in six species in Britain are threatened with extinction and this Government is taking action to reverse that decline.
"Through the largest-ever investment in species recovery, we are backing projects across the country to protect threatened wildlife, restore habitats and secure the future of some of England's most iconic species."
This programme sits alongside the government's wider support for farmers, including the largest nature-friendly farming budget in history — with £11.8 billion to be spent across this Parliament.
Natural England Chair Tony Juniper said:
"For decades Natural England's vital species recovery work has revealed how even the rarest of the rare can be brought back from the brink. The red kite, lady's slipper orchid, pool frog, beaver and large blue butterfly are among examples that demonstrate the many opportunities at hand and what can be achieved for nature and wider society.
"We know that good science and effective partnerships can help restore species to favourable status, and this funding will enable us to support many initiatives to help halt and reverse the decline of our wonderful wildlife."
Over the past three decades the programme has helped protect over 1,000 species and prevented the national extinction of at least 35 species.
Today's announcement builds on the government's commitment to reverse this decline and meet legal targets set out in the Environmental Improvement Plan, committing to halt the decline in species abundance by 2030 and reduce species extinction risk by 2042 against 2022 levels.
Defra will invest £60 million over the next three years, plus a further £30 million dedicated to species recovery on the national forest estate, bringing the total government commitment to £90 million.
The investment comes alongside the creation of three new national forests and approval of the first wild beaver releases since they were hunted to extinction around 400 years ago.