It follows the council’s appointment as the responsible authority for the development of the Local Nature Reserve Strategy (LNRS) for Lancashire.
The council is also currently delivering a £1.4m project of restoration work on 168 hectares of peatland in the Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and has secured a further £2.3m to extend this work to five more sites in the Forest of Bowland and Bowland Fells
The council’s role in driving nature recovery across Lancashire has been a topic discussed in recent council meetings.
Cllr Shaun Turner, cabinet member for environment and climate change, explained how, in his role, he is ensuring Lancashire plays its part in nature recovery.
Speaking at the latest full council meeting on October 12, he said: “We have been appointed as the responsible authority for the development of the LNRS for Lancashire.
“This will establish priorities and map the proposals for specific actions and will be key to driving and targeting nature recovery.
“Ahead of taking on this role, we have strengthened the county’s biological heritage site system – these are our locally important wildlife sites.
“We host and manage environmental records for the county, helping to ensure that weight is given to Lancashire’s natural environment when planning decisions are made.
“We employ specialist ecologists to ensure our own developments contribute to a net gain of biodiversity.
“Working with partners, we have secured funding for an ambitious programme to plant 170 hectares of rural woodland and 30,000 new trees by 2025.
“We have also been working with partners on peatland restoration projects in the Forest of Bowland AONB for the last 10 years.
“We are currently delivering a £1.4m project of restoration work on 168 hectares of peatland and have just secured a further £2.3m to extend this work to five more sites in the Forest of Bowland and Bowland Fells – helping nature to recover whilst also capturing carbon and reducing flood risk.”
To find out more, go to the ‘browse meetings’ section on the county council website.
