Farmers in England will be paid to create wildlife habitats, restore waterways and protect threatened species as part of a “radical” shakeup of land ownership practices, it was announced this week.
The UK government announced plans for two nature-recovery programs on Thursday. The first, the Local Nature Recovery initiative, will pay farmers for “locally-targeted actions which make space for nature”. The scheme is set to launch nationally in 2024 and aims to reverse the fortunes of some of England’s most threatened species.
The Landscape Recovery project will support more drastic changes to the landscape, such as the creation of nature reserves and woodlands, as well as the creation of wetlands.
The government plans to cover an area approximately equal to Lancashire by 2042. The plan was welcomed by environmental groups, but they demanded more detail and faster action.
“How these schemes will work in practice is still a cause for concern for both us and farmers,” said Beccy Speight, chief executive of RSPB.
Image: Niklas Weiss