Monday 22 August 2022

Scotland offers £3.5m for landscape-scale biodiversity projects

The Scottish Government is inviting bids for £3.5 million of funding in total for landscape-scale biodiversity projects in Scotland.

Grants of more than £250,000 are available for larger scale initiatives that restore and protect habitats and species, including freshwater and coastal and marine areas, control invasive non-native species and reverse the loss of lowland biodiversity in urban areas.

The funding is being provided under the latest round of the government's Nature Restoration Fund, supporting projects that help Scotland’s species, woodlands, rivers and seas back on the road to recovery.

The government plans to invest at least £65 million through the Fund, with at least £13.5 million available in 2022/23.

Biodiversity Minister Lorna Slater said: “The Nature Restoration Fund is Scotland’s largest ever fund for nature and a vital opportunity to take positive action now and halt nature loss. It supports projects across Scotland – large and small – on land and at sea – that address the twin crises of biodiversity loss and climate change.

“This summer we are also consulting on an ambitious new Biodiversity Strategy for Scotland. This sets out what our natural environment needs to look like by 2045 in order to reverse biodiversity decline and protect our environment for the future. I would encourage everyone to share their views and help us shape this crucial roadmap toward a better and more sustainable future for Scotland.”