Nature Recovery in English National Parks: Case for Delivery
Our report on how National Park Authorities, and their partners working in National Parks, could collectively deliver more for nature.
England’s nine National Park Authorities and the Broads Authority (NPAs) are committed to National Parks being beacons for a sustainable future, where nature, landscapes and people flourish, unlocking their potential as green engines for nature and climate recovery. These landscapes are dramatic, inspirational, large, and diverse, and contain many nature rich places that are abundant with wildlife. They are reservoirs of the nation’s most important and special species and habitats and places from which nature recovery can build. Covering 10% of England and 5% of the UK, National Parks have a key role in delivering the Government’s ambition to protect 30% of the UK’s land for nature, reversing the decline of biodiversity, by 2030 in line with the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) global response to the nature crisis to become landscapes that are richer in nature and richer for people.
NPAs and National Parks England (NPE) have developed a collective ambition to deliver more for landscapes and nature in the National Delivery Plan for Wildlife. NPAs are striving for a nature recovery vision where: National Parks are the pinnacle of the nation’s Nature Recovery network; they should be places where wildlife flourishes, habitats are maintained, restored, and expanded, and where everyone can experience nature and wildlife at their best.
The case for delivering nature recovery in English National Parks sets out how NPAs, and their partners working in National Parks, could collectively deliver more for nature. The approach builds upon existing strong partnership working to maximise gains for nature and calls for additional funding to deliver high value outcomes for biodiversity; climate resilience and society. It has been developed through research and discussions with NPA staff and 37 people working for strategic and key partner organisations across England.
Summary of key findings
Nationals Parks have significant potential to deliver more for nature
With sufficient collaboration and resources English National Parks have the potential to collectively deliver 145,000ha of nature rich areas by 2030. The production of a nature recovery delivery plan and a portfolio of nature recovery projects in each National Park is needed to unlock this potential. NPAs are sector leaders committed to working in partnership
NPAs are best placed to lead and convene the nature recovery agenda in National Parks.
They need to continue to collaborate with partners and stakeholders to develop innovative ways to pool knowledge, expertise, organisational resources and funding to deliver more for nature. Significant additional resources are needed to transform delivery.
NPAs are delivering nature recovery at capacity.
An estimated additional core resource of £4.5m is needed to scale nature recovery in National Parks. A detailed case needs to be developed to demonstrate the level of core funding needed and what it could deliver over the next 3 years.
It is estimated that in the region of £800m is needed to deliver the above nature recovery ambition by 2030. This will need to be secured from a broad range of funders. NPAs are well placed to continue to work with partners to find new ways to finance nature recovery at scale building on their knowledge of private finance through the Revere Initiative.
NPAs work beyond their boundaries as key partners in the NRN
Nature recovery goes beyond National Park boundaries. NPAs, with appropriate resources can support more work beyond boundaries. They are well placed to build on their work with Natural England, National Association for AONBs and organisations in the Nature Recovery Network Partnership to help build a nature recovery network across England.
There is an inspiring story to share and engage people with nature and its recovery
National Parks are places where people can visit, experience and be inspired by nature. NPAs are well placed to use landscape scale nature recovery to share stories, improve access and inspire more people to be connected to and act to care for the nature within National Parks. They have a wealth of knowledge and skills they could share more to inspire action in others.
