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Nature Improvement Areas: Joining up nature in practice – making ecological coherence a reality Brian McDonald, Natural England Wednesday, 15 June 2016
Nature Improvement Areas: Joining up nature in practice – making ecological coherence a reality
Brian McDonald, Natural England
Wednesday, 15 June 2016
• How the projects funded under the NIA programme were selected – i.e. what were the criteria for their positive assessment – policies, pressures, priorities, opportunities?
• Examples of the NIA’s and what they were seeking to
achieve; habitat, species, connectivity, ecosystem function, ecosystem services … what worked?
• The likely future of using these approaches – how are
these being sustained ? • What do we as practitioners need to be thinking about
in applying these approaches – is anything different?
Aim to address:
Nature Improvement Areas (NIA)
• NIA Competition announced in 2011 and component of Natural
Environment White Paper. Each NIA should be of between 10,000
and 50,000 ha to contribute to the ambition outlined in Making Space
For Nature for Ecological Restoration. NIAs are a key component of
the Biodiversity 2020 strategy.
• The 12 initial NIAs receive a share of £7.5 Million from NE & Defra
funding over 3 years (2012-15)
• NE, FC and EA have been instructed to positively engage with NIAs
to ensure their success – each organisation ... to maximise
collaboration in these areas
• 12 initial NIAs cover Approx. 500,000 ha’s of land area - delivery
started 1 April 2012. All have multiple partners, working to integrate
delivery at a landscape scale.
• Local Nature Partnerships can identify locally determined NIAs,
working to NIA criteria, to use M&E Framework ... but without, or
limited, NE/Defra funding.
Three year Monitoring and Evaluation Report published
January 2016
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/nature-improvement-areas-thousands-more-hectares-for-our-wildlife
Nature Improvement Areas (NIAs)
Competitive Grant Scheme
Launch Competition July 2011
Stage 1 Applications submitted by 30 Sept
2011
By 31 Oct 2011 All decisions notified.
Successful projects go onto 2nd Stage
4 November 2nd Stage applicants
Workshop
16 Dec 2011 deadline for 2nd stage applications
By 31 Jan 2012 Decisons notified to applicants
Week commencing 6 Feb 2012
Stage 3 Presentations
By end of Feb 2012 final decisions communicated
to applicants
1 April 2012
NIA project Start
76 Applications in England – Nature Improvement Area, stage two reduced to Top twenty
Fifteen finalists – x factor final…. The Twelve Winners !
NIAs should contain all these components of an ecological network:
• Core areas, especially existing wildlife sites (National Nature Reserves, Sites
of Special Scientific Interest, Local Nature Reserves, Local Wildlife Sites, and
other semi-natural areas of high ecological quality);
• Corridors and stepping stones;
• Restoration areas, where priority habitats are created to provide (in time)
more core areas;
• Buffer zones, that reduce pressures on core areas;
• Surrounding land that is sustainably managed, including for food production,
in a wildlife friendly way.
What are the characteristics of Nature Improvement Areas? Although the characteristics of NIAs will vary across the country according to what is possible and what is needed, these
will be places where:
• Opportunities to deliver ecological networks, both in terms of large area and scale and valuable benefits to wildlife
and people, are particularly high, taking account of relevant evidence.
• Significant improvements to the ecological network can be achieved over large areas by enlarging and enhancing
existing wildlife sites, improving ecological connectivity and/or creating new sites;
• The surrounding land use can be better integrated with valued landscapes and action to restore wildlife habitats and
underpinning natural processes, helping to adapt to climate change impacts;
• Benefits to urban areas and communities can be achieved and, where appropriate, NIAs may contain urban areas
as part of an enhanced ecological network;
• “Win-win‟ opportunities are identified and have the potential to be exploited to the full to derive multiple benefits, for
example with benefits for the water environment and Water Framework Directive objectives, flood and coastal
erosion risk management and the low-carbon economy;
• There are opportunities to inspire people through an enhanced experience of the outside world.
Who Can Apply
Partnerships/consortia that involve:
Local government/planning authorities (including National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty), significant private
landowners, environmental Non Government Organisations (NGOs) with land holdings (The Wildlife Trust (TWT), The Royal
Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), Woodland Trust etc.), other NGOs or environmental bodies, community and social
enterprises, town and parish councils, private sector, with involvement from Environment Agency (EA), Forestry Commission (FC)
and Natural England (NE).
Who can’t Apply
Individuals or lone organisations.
What we will look for in a bid?
Land/area:
• comprise a large area, probably greater than 10,000 ha, unless the proposal fits to some smaller
obvious ecological boundary. To reduce the risk of effort being spread too thinly, partnerships should
avoid proposing very large areas (e.g. in excess of 50,000 ha) unless they can convincingly
demonstrate that significant enhancements are likely to be achieved throughout the NIA;
• include a variety of land uses, and may include urban areas;
• provide opportunities to enhance the functioning of ecological processes, facilitate adaptation to climate
change and provide wider ecosystem services; and
• link with any existing landscape-scale initiatives in the vicinity, and/or with other recognised areas for
enhancement (such as biodiversity opportunity areas).
Activities:
NIA partnerships will be able to use their funding to support the following types of activities:
• projects that will make significant enhancements to existing wildlife sites or other network components, particularly those
identified as national or local biodiversity priorities (such as hedgerows and rivers);
• action to enhance the local ecological network, such as by enlarging existing sites, creating or restoring new wildlife habitat, and
establishing corridors, stepping stones or buffer zones;
• projects that have regard for the conservation of soils, geo-diversity and valued landscapes;
• actions that facilitate adaption to climate change;
• enhancements of a range of ecosystem services, including carbon sequestration and water management helping to meet
climate change and Water Framework Directive objectives;
• projects that involve innovation, such as incorporating payments for ecosystem services or piloting biodiversity offsets;
• where projects include significant urban areas, they will enhance green infrastructure (e.g. by retrofitting green roofs,
sustainable drainage, improved access to nature).
Level of delivery:
• We will take account of the extent to which the NIA proposal demonstrates quantifiable
benefits to the natural environment:
• improve existing wildlife sites, including SSSIs and Local Wildlife Sites (e.g. improving the
area in favourable or recovering condition);
• improve areas of non-designated wildlife habitat or bring these areas under conservation
management;
• the area of priority habitat2 expanded or restored both as new restoration areas (new
wildlife sites) and as extensions to existing wildlife sites;
• the area of habitat, or extent of other habitat features, created or restored which increases
ecological connectivity and reduces habitat vulnerability to future change;
• improvements through the conservation of soils, geo-diversity and valued landscapes;
• enhancements of a range of ecosystem services, including carbon sequestration and water
management helping to meet climate change and Water Framework Directive objectives
Although aims for NIAs should be ambitious, they need to be realistic and based on a
sound evidence base (Defra agencies will support the provision of this if required).
Locally determined NIAs
In addition to the 12 national NIAs, local nature
partnerships and local planning authorities can identify
and agree where locally determined NIAs can be set up.
Locally determined NIAs are encouraged to apply the
criteria, the monitoring and evaluation framework and
lessons learnt from the 12 initial NIAs to assist their
development and progress.
For more information see the criteria for locally
determined NIAs.
Overall aims of an NIA:
• Become much better places for wildlife – creating
more and better habitats over large areas which
provide the space for wildlife to thrive and adapt
to climate change
• Deliver for people as well as wildlife – enhancing
a wide range of benefits that nature provides
such as recreation, flood protection, clean water,
carbon storage
• Unite local communities, land managers and
business through a shared vision for better future
for people and wildlife. The hope is they become
places of inspiration loved by current and future
generations.
Enhancing the economy
• The NIA partnerships mobilised resources with an equivalent value of £26.2 million (including the financial value of volunteer time and services in-kind) in addition to the initial government grant funding. Of this total, £15.3 million was from non-public sources (e.g. private sector and non-governmental organisations).
• Five NIAs have also reported explicitly seeking to deliver economic benefits locally. These NIA partnerships use two main approaches: supporting the production and exchange of natural products - particularly wood-fuel; and place based marketing (i.e. promoting the NIA area and the importance of the natural environment).
Creating more, bigger, better and less fragmented places for wildlife
• Substantial contributions to Biodiversity 2020 outcomes were achieved. The initiative accelerated and
broadened the scope of biodiversity activities in NIAs. NIA partnerships maintained or improved 13,664ha of existing priority habitat (equivalent to about a quarter of the size of the New Forest National Park); and have restored or created 4,625ha of new priority habitat.
• The NIAs also restored, created or managed 225km of linear and boundary habitats, such as rivers and hedgerows. Activities to restore or create habitats have delivered multiple benefits, such as: improved habitat connectivity; development of recreational corridors; creation of open spaces; and the enhancement of ecosystem services.
Working with local communities, land managers and businesses
Volunteers contributed over 47,000 days of their time to activities in all the NIAs over the three grant funded years, and volunteering increased in each of the three years, with the amount of volunteering in the third year twice as much as in the first. In total, 87% of volunteering time was on activities considered likely to lead to health and wellbeing benefits for the people involved (e.g. working in groups or doing physical work)
All the NIA partnerships have engaged with their local communities through activities such as: engaging local people as volunteers; reaching out to schools and community groups to provide education and hands-on learning opportunities; and encouraging community involvement in decision making
Places of inspiration and innovation
All the NIA partnerships are engaged in activities that are either contributing to research or are innovative
• Four of the NIA partnerships include universities among their partners and 11 of the 12 initial NIA partnerships have reported on research related to the objectives of the NIA partnership being undertaken in collaboration with universities or research institutes
• Innovation and research activities are also related to practical habitat restoration or creation and land-management techniques
• Three NIAs worked with Sciencewise and Dialogue by Design to enhance public dialogue, involving local communities in discussions and decision making
Creating more, bigger, better and less fragmented places for wildlife
Substantial contributions to Biodiversity 2020 outcomes were achieved. NIA partnerships maintained or improved 13,664ha of existing priority habitat and restored or created 4,625ha of new priority habitat.
Restored, created or managed 225km of linear and boundary habitats. Activities to restore or create habitats have delivered multiple benefits, and enhancement of ecosystem services.
Places of inspiration and innovation
All the NIA partnerships are engaged in activities that are either contributing to research or are
collaborating with universities or research institutes.
Three NIAs worked with Sciencewise funding to provide enhanced public dialogue, involving local communities in discussions and decision making
Nature Improvement Areas -
achievements 2012 - 2015
Added Value
The NIA partnerships mobilised resources with an equivalent value of £26.2
million (including the financial value of volunteer time and services in-kind)
in addition to the initial government grant funding.
Of this total, £15.3 million was from non-public sources
Working with local communities, land managers and businesses
Volunteers contributed over 47,000 days of their time to activities across the NIAs
Volunteering increased in each of the three years, with the amount of volunteering in the
third year twice as much as in the first.
Nature Improvement Areas -
achievements 2012 - 2015
• The existing conifer plantation needed to be felled and any viable timber
removed off site, with the brash then suitably treated, to minimize the fire risk
to the surrounding heathland.
• To facilitate this work, a lower section of the Green Drive had to be made
suitable for forestry machinery and a route constructed to access the
woodland and remove timber to the main road south of the wood.
• Once the forestry work was done site restoration would need to be undertaken
to habitat types that are more consistent and sympathetic to the surrounding
landscape designations, such as native woodland and heathland.
• Finally, the woodland needed to be re-shaped to be more naturalistic and to fit
in better with the landscape, with new native trees being planted within a
fenced area, maximizing natural regeneration. Some retained areas of wind-
firm conifer need to be kept and managed to screen the clear-fell area and act
as sediment traps in the medium term with a view to their removal once
broadleaved woodland was established (in 20-30 years).
CASE STUDY
Burbage – Dark Peak NIA,
Peak District National
Park…….
‘The NIA brought people together under a mighty
common cause and gave focus to some excellent
conservation work delivered through partnership.’
Places of inspiration and innovation
All the NIA partnerships are engaged in activities that are either contributing to research or are innovative.
18
2012- 2015 – How did we do it?
Small National Team from NE (3.1 FTE) Managed
the NIA Programme, working with Defra for
programme delivery and M&E
Local Area team adviser input to all 12 NIAs - Each
NIA had a Natural England lead adviser working with
each partnership
Environment Agency and Forestry Commission input
to national oversight group and individual NIAs
Established a NIA Best Practise Group using Web
tools, and face to face events to illustrate issues and
successes;
Developed integrated Monitoring & Evaluation
Nature Improvement Areas -
achievements 2012 - 2015
What have we learned from the NIA M&E?
What have we learned from the NIA M&E?
Retain integration
Biodiversity
Ecosystem services
Socio economic
Keep it simple
Meet the identified need
Minimise number of metrics
Analysis and interpretation
Single data entry
Reporting location
Data source
Remove duplication and overlaps
Standardisation
Consistent agreed terminology
Reduce flexibility
Added Value
Whole > sum of parts
Influencing/coordinating
Project derived data
Outputs/outcomes
Remove bespoke surveillance requirement
spreadsheet submission
What might a voluntary reporting framework look like
Metrics
Connectivity
Ecosystem services
Added value
Managing existing habitat
Creating new habitat
Action for species
Volunteers
£££
Outcome monitoring
and context
Combined output report
HUB
Enhancing the economy
• The NIA partnerships mobilised resources with an equivalent value of £26.2 million (including the financial value of volunteer time and services in-kind) in addition to the initial government grant funding. Of this total, £15.3 million was from non-public sources (e.g. private sector and non-governmental organisations).
• Five NIAs have also reported explicitly seeking to deliver economic benefits locally. These NIA partnerships use two main approaches: supporting the production and exchange of natural products - particularly wood-fuel; and place based marketing (i.e. promoting the NIA area and the importance of the natural environment).
Creating more, bigger, better and less fragmented places for wildlife
• Substantial contributions to Biodiversity 2020 outcomes were achieved. The initiative accelerated and
broadened the scope of biodiversity activities in NIAs. NIA partnerships maintained or improved 13,664ha of existing priority habitat (equivalent to about a quarter of the size of the New Forest National Park); and have restored or created 4,625ha of new priority habitat.
• The NIAs also restored, created or managed 225km of linear and boundary habitats, such as rivers and hedgerows. Activities to restore or create habitats have delivered multiple benefits, such as: improved habitat connectivity; development of recreational corridors; creation of open spaces; and the enhancement of ecosystem services.
Working with local communities, land managers and businesses
Volunteers contributed over 47,000 days of their time to activities in all the NIAs over the three grant funded years, and volunteering increased in each of the three years, with the amount of volunteering in the third year twice as much as in the first. In total, 87% of volunteering time was on activities considered likely to lead to health and wellbeing benefits for the people involved (e.g. working in groups or doing physical work)
All the NIA partnerships have engaged with their local communities through activities such as: engaging local people as volunteers; reaching out to schools and community groups to provide education and hands-on learning opportunities; and encouraging community involvement in decision making
Places of inspiration and innovation
All the NIA partnerships are engaged in activities that are either contributing to research or are innovative
• Four of the NIA partnerships include universities among their partners and 11 of the 12 initial NIA partnerships have reported on research related to the objectives of the NIA partnership being undertaken in collaboration with universities or research institutes
• Innovation and research activities are also related to practical habitat restoration or creation and land-management techniques
• Three NIAs worked with Sciencewise and Dialogue by Design to enhance public dialogue, involving local communities in discussions and decision making
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The Nature Improvement Areas Final Monitoring and Evaluation report was published January 2016
Key lessons from the evaluation of the NIAs include:
Nature Improvement Areas -
key lessons 2012 - 2015
shared visions and objectives for the NIA partnerships improved communication between organisations,
encouraged joined-up working and more integrated implementation;
partnership-led, landscape scale land management contributed to successful implementation. However,
sufficient resources need to be dedicated to local coordination and management if partnerships are to function well;
the flexibility inherent in the design of the initiative was an important success factor;
partnerships bringing conservation organisations together with local businesses, land managers, research
institutions and local authorities proved effective in delivering land management in the integrated way envisaged
by the NIA initiative;
visible government support and leadership and a clear policy message provided impetus for local
project delivery and helped local projects in sourcing additional resources;
the scale of funding available to NIAs was critical to their success; the initial government grant, for
example, enabled partnerships to employ staff, leverage match-funding and initiate demonstration
projects that have encouraged others to get involved; and,
longer term activity (beyond the three years of grant funding in NIAs) will be required to deliver
sustainable impact, with associated monitoring to understand if lasting changes have been realised.
As well as NIA‘s and private initiatives making space for nature, there are others: RSPB’s Futurescapes, Wildlife Trust’s Living Landscapes, Butterfly Conservation’s Landscape-scale Conservation initiative. The National Trust’s efforts on their huge land-holdings All delivering “more, bigger, better and joined” over thousands of hectares At end of October, HLF announced a £36m investment for landscape level conservation in 13 areas across 3000km2
from Orkney to Cornwall, and they hope to do more. …hopes that their evolving Landscape Partnership programme will be able to support further work on NIAs in the future
.
• Secured £3-4m delivery commitments from Network Rail and Highways Agency in 2 NIAs for 2015-2017
• Informed and influenced the Roads Investment Strategy £300million environment fund with NIAs identified as target areas for biodiversity interventions
• Attracting wider interest from environmental and transport sectors
‘This project will make these areas better than ever, helping our vital pollinators by providing a home and food for them to thrive, as well as improving the weather resilience of our transport infrastructure which will boost our economy’ SoS – Liz Truss Dec ‘14
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guide-to-countryside-stewardship-facilitation-fund/guide-to-countryside-stewardship-facilitation-fund
DEFRA 25 Year Environment Plan: Our vision Britain to be the healthiest and the most beautiful place in the
world to live, to work and to bring up a family. We want the
generation growing up now to be more connected to nature
than ours is.
Conservation Strategy
Nature Improvement Areas -
What Next?
2015 - 2020 12 initial NIAs maintain direction and ambition to 2020
Locally Determined NIAs develop and grow
Refresh/reprise NIA Criteria ? The National Planning Policy Framework states that Local Plans should, crucially,
contain a clear strategy for enhancing the natural, built and historic environment, and supporting Nature
Improvement Areas where they have been identified.
Ecological Networks team in Natural England will develop and support integrated landscape scale delivery across
NE, area teams and partner organisations.
Use Countryside Stewardship and other resources to mobilise, enable and animate landscape scale integrated
delivery.
Use designation as a tool to contribute to the creation of ecological networks in well-managed landscapes.
Develop NIA Best Practise Network and Mapping/GIS of NIAs
Evolve and Develop integrated light touch M&E for landscape scale initiatives
Let’s stay in touch….
