Gavin Duthie
Farmers and land managers in England’s National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) will be given grants to make improvements to the natural environment, cultural heritage and public access.
The three-year programme, Farming in Protected Landscapes, was announced today by Government, and will be open to farmers and land managers to support nature recovery, mitigate the effects of climate change, and provide ways for people to discover, enjoy and understand the landscape.
- support nature recovery – such as increasing habitats to improve biodiversity or greater connectivity between habitats
- mitigate the impacts of climate change – such as reducing flood risk or storing more carbon
- provide opportunities for people to discover, enjoy and understand the landscape and its cultural heritage
- support nature-friendly and sustainable farm businesses
Other eligible projects can focus on ‘place’, improving the quality and character of the landscape. These might be restoring and maintaining some of the landscape features and historic assets that make our National Parks and AONBs so distinctive.
Helping people to enjoy and understand the landscape is a priority, and this programme will support projects including those that provide more opportunities for people to access and explore AONBs and National Parks.
Iain Robson, manager of the Northumberland Coast AONB Partnership, said: “As well as priorities around climate change and nature recovery, the Farming in Protected Landscapes programme will provide opportunities for the Northumberland Coast AONB Partnership to work closely with farmers and land managers to create better visitor experiences, helping people to have the confidence to explore the landscape, learn about and be inspired by our natural and cultural heritage”.
The Farming in Protected Landscapes programme will run from 2021 to 2024, and proposals are invited from 1 July 2021. Further information can be obtained by contacting info@northumberlandcoastaonb.org The funding is for one-off projects and is not an agri-environment scheme. Receiving funding from this programme will not prevent farmers or land managers from participating in the emerging Environmental Land Management Schemes, and projects on land within existing stewardship agreements can be funded provided they are additional to the current agreement.
