Farmers and landowners have been custodians of the land for generations, and it is recognised that they are passionate about living within nature and preserving wildlife on their land. Technological, policy and funding changes in the last 100 years have meant that farming practices have been intensified to produce more food and feed the nation. Sometimes this has happened at the expense of the wider environment despite protest from farmers during the post war period.

Now more than ever we are recognising how important nature is to the world we live in, and the need to balance food production with looking after nature. With that in mind, Local Nature Recovery Strategies are a legal requirement of the 2021 Environment Act and 48 are being developed across England. Amongst other things, they outline how nature can best evolve alongside food production.

The strategy for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly was adopted by Cornwall Council Cabinet on 26^th March 2025. Thank you to everyone who was involved in the creation of the strategy. Having thousands of voices shape the strategy has helped make it a strategy for One and All.

The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Nature Recovery Strategy will:

• Outline opportunities and priorities for what, where and how we can enhance and grow nature
• Map a series of specific actions that can guide delivery now to have the most impact for nature
• Set out the journey for realising the long-term recovery and growth of nature across the region
• Help support nature within the planning system and development
• Link with Biodiversity Net Gain and other funding sources

The aim of the strategy is not to: 

• Remove productive land. It is about finding where food production and nature can thrive together
• Limit land managers choice in decision making. The strategy is not a replacement for local knowledge, and will not dictate to farmers and landowners what to do with their land. It is a guide, not a prescription
• Replace farm visits, good site surveys and project planning – it is a strategic tool

• Guide funding: e.g., Farming in Protected Landscapes, Biodiversity Net Gain, English Woodland Creation Offer, Environmental Land Management Schemes and other natural capital interventions
• Target action for nature by highlighting the best places where biodiversity can thrive
• Improve support given by informing farmers and land managers, strategic organisations, ecological consultants and farm advisors
• Promote healthier soils, cleaner air and water 
• Prioritise and improve nature-based solutions such as flood prevention, water retention and carbon sequestration
• Help landowners identify neighbours and partners with similar environmental opportunities to support landscape-scale initiatives

Nature recovery is a term that covers a spectrum of actions we can take to protect, grow and enhance nature, and can be done alongside food production. From creating and maintaining Cornish hedgerows, wildflower margins and creating buffers along rivers to larger landscape scale projects and activities which we might think of as “rewilding”.

Part of the NRS is to create maps, which we call the “Nature Recovery Network”. These show existing (Zone 1) and opportunity (Zone 2) areas for nature recovery. You can view the maps using the interactive mapping tool.

The Nature Recovery Network is shaped by the priorities and actions set out in the written document. The maps can be used to provide suggestions for what and where action can happen to make more areas for nature and provide habitats which are bigger, better and joined up.

The opportunity maps were created with the University of Exeter in Penryn using the best available evidence and techniques. We worked with our Local Environmental Record Centre and local taxonomic experts to create priority species lists to inform where the opportunity areas are located. These include farmland bird species such as Corn Buntings, Cirl Buntings and Curlews. 

Read the full methodology to find out exactly how the maps were created.

Want to know more about the species on your own land? Contact ERCCIS to request data.

Thank you for being a champion for nature on your land! We absolutely recognise the great work farmers are doing due to them inherently caring about the natural environment around them. We are also aware of the increasing commitment to help nature within the farming community. 

We also know that nature is still in trouble, with many species in decline. The maps and written strategy highlight areas already working for nature, and signpost to where the opportunities are. You can use these resources as tools when you are making your plans. Why not explore the opportunity maps and see if what you are already doing matches the suggestions made by the mapping? For example, it may be that by making a few changes to what you are already doing, you can help to support a species that relies on a certain habitat. The opportunity maps are there to help us all to deliver the best interventions for nature in the best places.

 We hope that by raising awareness of the strategy, everyone understands what is happening and how it relates to their land. You may decide that this is not something that is useful to you now, but at a later date it may be that you would like to take a look and see the suggestions that apply to your farm.

If you want to shout about what you are doing, why not make a Pledge for Nature? Pledge for Nature | Let's Talk Cornwall

30 by 30 is a global target to protect 30% of the planet for nature by 2030. It was agreed at COP15. Defra updated the 30x30 criteria for England in October 2024. Areas that contribute to 30x30 need to meet the conditions of three criteria:

• Purpose: Will the purposes or management objectives for this area ensure the delivery of in-situ conservation outcomes?
• Protection: Is the conservation of this area secured for at least 20 years, through legal or other effective means?
• Management:

• Does the area’s governance or ownership have the ability to implement reasonable management actions to achieve in-situ conservation outcomes?
• Is there a management plan or similar that is designed to deliver in-situ conservation outcomes?
• Are management measures being implemented, with appropriate monitoring, evaluation and learning in place to assess progress and inform future management?
• Is the area achieving, or making progress towards, in-situ conservation outcomes, with reasonable confidence that these outcomes will be achieved?

The NRS can help local areas celebrate land already contributing to 30x30 and identify opportunities across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly to deliver nature recovery. This can support areas wanting to work towards 30% of land, rivers and seas being well managed for nature by 2030. 

The NRS itself will not directly impact what you do with your land, as it is a strategy to help inform future nature recovery. The opportunity mapping is for guidance and is not a prescription to be followed. Whilst we hope that farmers and landowners will use the NRS to support their activities, the NRS will not affect you if you do not wish it to. 

The maps are suggested ways to enhance nature. Whilst they are based off of the best evidence, they cannot replace the knowledge you have of your land. You can choose another way to help recover nature or choose to farm as you have done previously in that area.

If you do want to do something different to what is mapped, consider whether:

• Any of the additional actions listed could be relevant
• You have the information you need to deliver the right action in the right place so that you don’t inadvertently do something counterproductive. For example, you are not looking to plant woodland where heathland would be the most nature friendly solution. If you are unsure, please speak to your farm advisor for guidance.
• The written strategy document can help you plan by looking at the actions for your chosen intervention

Also, you do not have to stick to the mapped areas; anywhere you can provide nature friendly areas on your farm is a bonus to wildlife.

It is up to you and your landlord to decide if you would like to put any of the NRS suggestions in place.

Whilst the NRS is unlikely to prohibit small scale developments on your farm, plans will need to deliver 10% Biodiversity Net Gain.

The NRS is a material planning consideration and so it is useful for you to make yourself aware of the Nature Recovery Network maps. In Cornwall this is further reinforced by Policy G4 within the Climate Emergency Development Planning Document which states that:

“where development is sited within or adjacent to an adopted Local Nature Recovery Network it should demonstrate how the proposal will maintain and enhance the integrity and connectivity of the network and support the principles of the Local Nature Recovery Strategy”.

This means that you need to know whether your proposed development is within a Zone 2: Opportunity Area. If it is, then you will need to look at the preferred habitat, the preferred action group and the associated actions within the strategy document (see below for an example). In your application, you will need to state how you will incorporate aspects of the preferred action within your development. For the example below, you might retain an existing Cornish hedge and create an area of species-rich grassland on site.

The strategy won’t stop you using agrochemicals or artificial inputs, but encourages alternative forms of pest and disease control. The strategy also encourages reduced artificial inputs, suggesting more nature-friendly farming practices and the use of regenerative practices to improve soils and help them work harder for farmers.

If you farm near watercourses, there are specific actions in the strategy to support you in reducing run-off into waterways.

The Nature Recovery Network maps are a strategic tool, they are for guidance and not a prescription. There is no suggestion from Defra that the actions mapped will become compulsory. The NRS was formally adopted by Cornwall Council in March 2025 after going through public consultation. If the intended use of the maps was to change, then this would also need to go through public consultation before being adopted.

The NRS and Nature Recovery Network maps will be updated every 3-10 years. Exactly when this will be is determined by the secretary of state for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Yes. We worked closely with our counterparts in Devon to ensure continuity. As we all know, nature doesn’t stop at the Devon border, it just puts the cream on first after crossing!

During the creation of the strategy, we had an Isles of Scilly NRS Officer based on St Mary’s who helped us to work closely with partners on the Isles of Scilly, including the Farmers and Growers group. Through our engagement, we included a number of Scilly specific actions. The Zone 2: Opportunity Area maps were also created differently to reflect the unique scale of the islands, using a participatory mapping approach with key landowners and partners.

In 2023 Cornwall Council was appointed by the Minister to be the Responsible Authority for the development of the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly NRS, which was published in March 2025. 

Many organisations were consulted at every stage of developing the strategy. Examples relevant to farmers and landowners included the National Landscape teams, NFU, CLA, Duchy of Cornwall, FWAG and many others. The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Nature Partnership acted as the Steering Group locally and includes representation from a range of conservation, farming and marine representatives. 

Government determined that Natural England were a Supporting Authority for each NRS across England and supported Cornwall Council in interpreting the national regulations and guidance that came with the NRS. 

The Council of the Isles of Scilly was also a Supporting Authority and helped us ensure that the needs of Scilly were well represented within the strategy.

All of the key organisations involved in the development of the NRS are committed to working with the farming community throughout the development of the LNRS, learning lessons from recent engagement across the southwest. 

Delivery of the NRS is only going to be possible through a collective effort by everyone: big organisations, local residents, businesses, farms, land managers, schools, organisations and industry. All Public Authorities in England also now have a strengthened ‘biodiversity duty’ to conserve and enhance biodiversity as set out in the Environment Act. For example, parks, gardens, cemeteries, communal areas and all amenity green spaces will have their part to play in nature recovery.

We know what we need to do, we understand the challenges, and we have a strategy to overcome them. Now we need to make change happen.

Farm clusters are a great way of bringing about larger scale projects that can be financially beneficial to farmers and really help nature. They are also a great way to bring farmers together socially and improve mental health within the farming community. 

If you would like to create a cluster with your neighbours and need help or advice, speak to your farm advisor or contact us at grow-nature@cornwall.gov.uk

National Landscapes are increasingly contributing to nature recovery, and so it is expected that they will be particularly suitable places for nature to grow. However, Opportunity Areas mapped in National Landscape sections are the same as those mapped across the whole of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

If you farm in a National Landscape area, then you are in the fortunate position to possibly get extra financial help to assist in helping nature through Farming in Protected Landscapes.

Contact the relevant FiPL team:

• Cornwall National Landscape
• Tamar Valley National Landscape
• Isles of Scilly National Landscape 

The Government’s Agricultural Transition Plan has recently been updated and now states: "We will support greater coordination between our schemes and Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRS). Between now and 2025, local authorities will work with landowners, land managers and farmers across the country to develop LNRS by identifying and mapping the most important actions for nature recovery in their areas. As LNRS become available across England, we will explore join up between funding initiatives and LNRS."

There are options when looking to get an income to support nature on your farm, and even ways to provide a long-term income from areas dedicated to nature. 

ELMS and stewardship funding

ELMS are intermittently available to farmers and provide financial support for those who wish to manage land for nature, and at an entry level SFI payments are there to enable farmers to do so and continue to support food production. For more ambitious projects, Countryside Stewardship payments enable farmers to be funded for more enhanced nature recovery whilst still allowing them to keep food production as a priority.

Payments for habitat creation and ecosystem services

Alternatively, there are other options like carbon credits, Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG), Wilder Carbon and payments for ecosystem services (such as being paid for natural flood defence), can provide a long-term income from land used for nature recovery. 

If you are interested in BNG, either buying or selling credits, contact one of the team from Local Investment in Nature Cornwall.

Other sources

If you are interested in planting trees, then Forest for Cornwall can help with all stages of the application process.

If you are in a National Landscape area you could be eligible for Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) funding. Contact the relevant FiPL team:

• Cornwall National Landscape
• Tamar Valley National Landscape
• Isles of Scilly National Landscape 

.  

Your local farm advisor can inform you of current available funding.

BNG is now mandatory for all developments as of 2^nd April 2024.

Within the written strategy we have an explainer page on BNG which you can view here. This gives an overview of what Biodiversity Net Gain is, and how the strategy interacts with BNG.

Our Zone 2 Opportunity Areas in the Nature Recovery Network Maps can help to incentivise the creation or restoration of the right habitat in the right place by rewarding delivery of actions proposed by the Nature Recovery Strategy, with a 15% uplift as part of any BNG scheme, benefitting the landowner.

If you are interested in being a seller of biodiversity units, then it is up to you to implement this. You can find out more information here. If you are interested in buying or selling units, speak to a member of the Local Investment in Nature – Cornwall team who can help answer your questions and support you through this process. E-mail them at linc@cornwall.gov.uk. 

It is important to note that Cornwall Council or the Council of the Isles of Scilly will not give farmers and landowners contact details out, and so any interactions around BNG are between the landowner and the developer or third party.

If you would like more information on any of these income options, please email  linc@cornwall.gov.uk.

The LINC project is supporting farmers and landowners to develop natural capital projects that deliver nature recovery. Developers, businesses and individuals are keen to fund and invest in environmental projects that help create a greener future and provide nature-based solutions. Funders are interested in funding a range of projects such as wildflower meadows; preserving water courses; tree planting; building wetlands; larger scale tree planting; and natural flood management. 

LINC is creating a platform whereby farmers and landowners present their natural capital projects to potential buyers of natural capital. LINC can provide baselining, opportunity mapping and support, and can ultimately help guide a good long term income opportunity for landowners through facilitating contact with potential funders. If you are interested, please contact linc@cornwall.gov.uk

If you are interested in tree planting including agroforestry, hedgerows, growing an orchard or planting a small area, please contact the Forest for Cornwall team. 

If you are interested in creating or repairing a traditional Cornish hedgerow, then contact the Guild of Cornish Hedgers.

To read the strategy and explore the opportunity areas visit the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Nature Recovery Strategy | Let's Talk Cornwall.

Take a look at our Nature Recovery Hub | Let's Talk Cornwall to learn more about our current and past projects.

Follow the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Nature Partnership across social media and sign up to our NRS e-newsletter to keep up to date with relevant news, project and events.