Rural communities across North Yorkshire consulted to shape nature recovery strategy

Farmers and land managers are being encouraged to share their views on how nature can be encouraged alongside their business.

North Yorkshire Council has been appointed by Defra to produce a Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) to help in addressing the decline of nature and to improve the environment.

There are 48 other LNRSs being prepared across England usually at county or combined authority level.

The strategy, covering North Yorkshire and York, will identify locations to improve nature and provide other benefits, such as capturing carbon from the atmosphere, flood regulation and access to nature-rich spaces where this is most needed for health and wellbeing.

It aims to not only improve prospects for wildlife but can also help businesses become more resilient to the effects of climate change and deliver wider environmental benefits.

North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for managing our environment, Cllr Greg White, said: "The LNRS for North Yorkshire and York will map nature in our region and identify an action plan to help safeguard it for the future.

"Key to the strategy’s success will be the support of farmers and land managers to understand what we can do to help nature to flourish. We are keen to learn from their local knowledge and expertise in managing land and food production, to feed this into the draft strategy.”

The strategy is expected to better assist farmers and land managers to access Environmental Land Management schemes (ELMs) incentives and Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) opportunities, by guiding where actions for nature in their areas will be most beneficial.

Once published it is expected that this will also be a useful resource which farmers and land managers can utilise to inform future applications for funding.

Working in partnership with the National Farmers’ Union (NFU), the council is holding events across the county starting on Monday (February 19). Places are free and limited to 25 people per event and will be followed by a light meal.

To register a place please email [email protected] stating which date and venue you would like to attend, or visit www.northyorks.gov.uk/environment-and-neighbourhoods/conservation/local-nature-recovery-strategy