South Downs National Park - Nature Improvement Area.

The South Downs Way Ahead project, led by the South Downs National Park Authority on behalf of 27-strong partnership, will trail blaze the Government’s new Nature Improvement Area scheme to protect habitats and the economic and social benefits they bring.

The Nature Improvement Areas grant scheme, supported by Defra, DCLG, Environment Agency, Forestry Commission and Natural England will operate over three years from 2012 to 2015. Its aim is to create more, bigger and better joined up nature and natural environment sites creating sustainable, resilient and more effective ecological networks for England.

Margaret Paren, Chair of the South Downs National Park Authority, said: “South Downs chalk downland is vital to the survival of rare and endangered wildlife and is relied on by millions of people to provide clean drinking water and valuable green space. We are working in partnership with 26 organisations across the National Park to safeguard this precious landscape and encourage people to help secure these benefits for now and future generations”.

Following a year of development co-ordianted by Colin Tingle Lewes and Ouse Valley ECO nomics L&OVe are in the process of presenting their distinctive approach and becoming a constituted group as partners in the in the South Downs Way Ahead Nature Improvement Area.

http://southdownsforum.ning.com/profiles/blogs/not-just-a-pretty-view