South West Uplands
South West Uplands: Delivering Public Benefits
Our SW uplands are of enormous value for their social, environmental and economic contributions to the region. Bodmin Moor, Dartmoor and Exmoor together cover 8% of our region.
They provide a huge range of vital services and benefits which people all across the country simply can’t do without - food production, water supply and quality, soil carbon stores, and outdoor recreation and learning.
The uplands, their communities and farmers in particular, are facing significant challenges, such as climate change, social, economic and public policy change. But these challenges also present opportunities.
We believe that by working together we can help create opportunities for integrated practical action, policies, business investment and community involvement, to help make the right decisions about land use and management to secure a sustainable future for or environment and all of us who depend on it.
SW Uplands Event - 1 December 2009
Natural England’s Upland Vision and Atlas
At the SW Uplands Conference in June 2008 we explained how we would be developing Upland Futures principles and a long term Vision by 2009. Since then we have held 3 major stakeholder events in this region to help develop our national Vision by sharing information, views and ideas with stakeholders.
On 1st December we launched the culmination of that and other work:
Vital Uplands – Natural England’s vision for the upland environment in 2060 (subsequently withdrawn)
SW Uplands Vision Launch: (7.21mb)
- Phil Collins presentation
Partnership Projects
Key public benefits and ecosystems services Partnership Projects
South West Uplands Taskforce – Mark Robins talked about progress against the SW Uplands Task Force’s 10 point plan
Dartmoor National Park: (1.52mb)
- Kevin Bishop presentation South West Water: (420kb)
– Martin Ross presentation
Natural England ecosystems services south west pilot
Natural England, on behalf of Defra, is leading the development of three upland ecosystems services pilot projects. We have secured one of the pilots for the SW. We have been working with key partners to help scope the project and will be extending the partnership to include representatives of all those responsible for securing benefits from ecosystems services in the project areas.
The project will:
identify and help deliver the best mix of services and benefits for people
define the management changes needed to maximise these benefits
lead to new ways of investing in the natural environment and land management to deliver more services and a healthier natural environment
This is an exciting opportunity for us in the SW together to influence future policy and support for the uplands.
SW Public Benefits/ Ecosystem Services Pilot: (30kb) - Traill Thompson and Bloomfield Presentation
SW ecosystems workshop – 11 February 2010
Next Steps
As a next stage we want to start to develop a shared action plan with partners to bring the Vision to life for the South West. We will:
announce the project team for the Public Benefits/Ecosystem Services Pilot in January
work closely with a range of partners, from those who provide these vital public services to those who benefit from them, to ensure they are involved in the development of the project over its lifetime
continue to actively engage the South West Uplands Taskforce in the development of the project. We are grateful for the opportunity to have the Public Benefits/Ecosystem Service pilot project as a standing agenda item at meetings
For further information contact Eamon Crowe. Telephone: 0300 060 0188.
