Why Nature Recovery is Important?  

In the UK, nature and the services it provides e.g. flood protection has seen massive declines in recent decades, being heavily influenced by changes in the way we manage land for development, food production and industry. Nature recovery is essential in ensuring we have a healthy and well-connected natural environment that provides many essential services from supporting biodiversity, protecting society and underpinning life.

What are LNRSs? 

A Local Nature Recovery Strategy will guide future efforts to recover nature, and direct funding e.g. Biodiversity Nat Gain to places where it has the most benefit for biodiversity and the wider environment. LNRS’s have been introduced by central government as part of their commitment to halt the loss of biodiversity by 2030 and achieve the statutory targets set out in the Environmental Improvement Plan 2023.

The LNRS includes:

• Statement of Biodiversity Priorities – Identifies the habitats and species to focus on (Priorities) and the actions needed to recovery those habitats and species (Measures).
• Local Habitat Map – Identifies the areas of opportunity to recover the priority habitats and species identified, as well as the best places for Nature Based Solutions that address issues like water quality and flood-risk.

*The local habitat map will identify opportunity areas in Greater Lincolnshire for nature recovery. Where land has been identified, this does not apply any restrictions or impose any requirements on the land owner/manager. The areas identified will only highlight potential opportunities for funding through Biodiversity Net Gain and other potential funding schemes. The LNRS will be a useful resource to draw on to inform applications. Land owners can choose to opt-in or opt-out of inclusion in the Local Habitat Map prior to publication.*

Shaping the Greater Lincolnshire LNRS

The LNRS needs to be realistic and achievable, meaning it should be informed by local people, organisations and businesses to create a strategy that all sectors can contribute to. Through input from local partners, the strategy will identify which habitats, species and environmental pressures should be prioritised to focus action and maximise the benefits from nature recovery efforts. Due to the highly agricultural landscape of Greater Lincolnshire, farmers, land owners and land managers are particularly important in shaping the LNRS and helping to deliver the goals of the strategy.

Who is leading the LNRS?

Lincolnshire County Council is working with North Lincolnshire Council, North East Lincolnshire Council and the Greater Lincolnshire Nature Partnership to produce the strategy for the area. 

We can all play a part in developing the strategy and turning the strategy’s goals into reality to improve our natural environment for wildlife and people.