Representatives from a major conservation project in Devon are attending a special
event in London today to mark two years of England's Nature
Improvement Area (NIA) programme - and to ask the Government to continue its support
of its crucial work in North Devon.
The Northern Devon Nature Improvement Area covers 72,000 hectares in the river
Torridge Catchment. It is one of 12 partnership projects which were created in 2012
following a competitive bidding process for a share of £7.5million new funding from
the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and Natural England.
The aim of Nature Improvement Areas is to improve the landscape for people and
nature through restoring, expanding and joining up wildlife-rich areas. The South
West only has two NIAs, one in Northern Devon and one in Purbeck.
Today's Forum in London will enable the 12 NIA partnership groups from across
England to share details and learning on the wide-ranging work they are doing to
restore nature on a landscape scale, and their plans for the future. But NIAs may
not continue into 2015 without further Government support.
The Northern Devon NIA Manager, Lisa Schneidau, said: 'Thanks to the efforts of a
huge number of farmers, communities and organisations working with us, the Northern
Devon NIA has made a real difference for the river Torridge catchment in its first
two years. The project has generated over £4 million to support action for the
environment by local people. Without the catalyst of financial support from
Government, none of this action would have happened.
"Yet we have barely started, and there is much yet to do. Our current funding
finishes in March 2015. We urge the Government to continue its financial
contribution to Nature Improvement Areas. This support is crucial for the
restoration of a healthy, wildlife-rich landscape in the Torridge catchment in the
long term."
Since April 2012 the Northern Devon NIA has worked with local landowners throughout
72,000 hectares of the Torridge catchment, within the North Devon Biosphere Reserve.
Devon Wildlife Trust is the lead partner. Effort has been concentrated on offering
advice and resources, to help local landowners manage wildflower (Culm) grassland,
wetland and woodland, improve water quality in local watercourses, and engage local
people in all aspects of the environment. So far the project team has helped 226
landowners, who in turn have restored over 1,200 hectares of land for wildlife. The
project's work with communities so far has generated over 100 events, 33 school
visits, over 3,000 volunteer hours and two theatre projects.
Lisa and project partners will be presenting the main achievements of the project to
an audience at the Forum which includes Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for
Natural Environment and Science Lord de Mauley, Professor Sir John Lawton and
Natural England Chair Andrew Sells.
Lisa said, "We still have 6 months of the current project to go - and everyone can
get involved.
Whether you are a land manager, a budding wildlife surveyor, a parish
or community group, a school, or you simply want to find out more about your local
environment - if you live or work in the river Torridge catchment, we'd love to hear
from you."
The Northern Devon NIA team can be contacted on 01409 221823 or
info@northerndevonnia.org For more information, visit: www.devonwildlifetrust.org/northern-devon-nature-improvement-area/
A report on achievements of the NIA project in its first two years can be foundhere:
Deptford Pastures near Bradworthy has been
one of the many parts of the Devon landscape helped by the Northern Devon Nature
Improvement Area - Photo copyright DWT (All rights reserved)
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