This month marks one year since the launch of the Government’s Farming in Protected Landscapes Programme. Given that the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) falls within the Forest of Dean, this is a scheme that our local farmers have been able to take advantage of.
The Farming in Protected Landscapes programme provides funding for farmers and other land managers to work in partnership with National Parks and AONB bodies to deliver projects for climate, nature, people and place. The programme is part of the Government’s response to the Landscapes Review and recognises that our Protected Landscapes, like the Wye Valley, are special and unique, and they need to be protected while also supporting the farmers and communities who live and work within them.
The programme and its funding will run until the end of March 2024 and it focuses on the key challenges facing farmers in Protected Landscapes - helping improve, and prevent damage to, the landscape; effectively managing high levels of visitors and helping farmers and businesses capitalise on the many social and financial benefits that visitors can provide. The programme will contribute to the Government’s commitment to protect 30% of land by 2030 and help the UK hit net zero by 2050 with nature-based solutions.
Since the programme launched in July 2021, the National Parks and AONBs have supported more than 1,000 projects across England’s 44 Protected Landscapes.
A fantastic example of how money from this fund has been spent locally is the support given to help the conservation of grazing using hardy native breed cattle. A St Briavels based business has received funding for the creation of a porous, flat, stoned area to facilitate the safe handling of animals when required, in between their work restoring wildflower meadows.
We all know what a beautiful part of the world the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley is so I am pleased to see funding for projects which will improve and safeguard our natural environment for future generations.
This article was first published in The Forester newspaper.