Million Pound Boost For Exmoor's Moorland
The future conservation and enhancement of Exmoor’s moorlands has received a huge boost with the news that the Exmoor Moorland Landscape Partnership has been offered a grant of £662,500 from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The HLF grant represents about 50% of the total cost of the proposed scheme with some of the balance being represented by in-kind contributions and income generated through events and activities.
The Partnership comprises twelve organisations: Active Exmoor, English Heritage, Environment Agency, Exmoor National Park Authority, Exmoor Society, Exmoor Trust, Field Studies Council, The National Trust, National Farmers Union, Natural England, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and West Somerset Community College - with the National Park Authority acting as Lead Partner.
Background
In 2004 when, to mark the 50th anniversary of the designation of Exmoor as a National Park, the National Park Authority launched its Golden Jubilee Moorland Review. The objective was a thorough and objective review of the state of Exmoor’s moorlands, and prepared a comprehensive and compelling plan of action for their future conservation.”
A series of studies and reviews was carried out which culminated in the publication of Moorlands at a Crossroads – the State of the Moorlands of Exmoor – a comprehensive report commissioned by the Exmoor Society. As a result of this report, the National Park Authority set up the Exmoor Moorland Initiative Board which recognised that ‘livelihoods for thriving local communities of farmers and other rural businesses that depend on the land’ was perhaps the most important challenge. The Board also looked for ways to carry the work forward and this included possibility of a bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund under its Landscape Partnership grant scheme.
A Partnership of twelve organisations was brought together and the long and complex process of developing the bid commenced, resulting in a successful outcome.
Rachel Thomas, Chairman of the Exmoor Society which chaired the partnership bid, said that some of the projects that came out of the report Moorlands at a Crossroads, such as Moor Keepers, employing local people with local knowledge, and improving the moorland landscape, now have a chance to be put into operation.”
Commenting on the grant offer, Dr Graham Wills, Head of Conservation and Land Management at Exmoor National Park Authority said: We are absolutely delighted with the news that the Heritage Lottery Fund has recognised how important the moorlands are to Exmoor and its communities. It has taken a huge amount of work to get this far, yet in some ways the real work is about to begin and we look forward to working with our partners to take this exciting scheme forward.”
Six of the Partners, including the National Park Authority, the Exmoor Society, the Exmoor Trust, the Environment Agency, Natural England, and English Heritage, have offered to help match the Heritage Lottery Fund’s contribution to the Scheme, and applications have been submitted to the North Devon and Western Somerset Local Action Funds.
Nerys Watts, HLF Head of Region said: Few people realise that every lottery ticket has the potential to save the UK’s landscapes, countryside and creatures. HLF is pleased to recognise the importance of the moorlands and their impact and relevance to the local Exmoor communities.”