Farmers and landowners can apply for funding to support projects that will restore nature, reduce flood risks and boost biodiversity, as the first round of applications for the Landscape Recovery Scheme is now open.
The?scheme will support more radical and ambitious land-use change and habitat restoration, such as establishing new nature reserves, restoring floodplains to help reduce the risks from flooding, or creating woodland and wetlands.
The first round of Landscape Recovery is open to any individuals or groups who want to come together to deliver large (500 – 5000 ha) scale projects.?The projects will?focus?on:
- recovering and restoring England’s threatened native species. Projects under this theme will be?administered by Natural England
- restoring England’s streams and rivers: improving water quality, biodiversity and adapting to climate change. Projects under this theme will be?administered by the Environment Agency
Projects could include restoring the natural courses?and condition?of rivers and streams, creating and improving woodlands or wetlands, or creating a mosaic of habitats?for native species.
The application process
Applications?for this?round of funding?are open?from 1 February?2022?and will close on 24 May?2022.??The application process will be competitive and Defra will assess applications against selection criteria focused on the projects’ potential impact, feasibility and costs. The chosen round one pilot projects will be confirmed in the summer. Up to 15 projects will be taken forward within the total project development budget available of £7.5m.
More information and how to apply can be found on the GOV.UK website.