Local Nature Recovery Strategy Consultation
Over the past year BBCWT have been supporting the work of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) to produce the West Midlands Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS). The draft strategy is currently open for public comment and we want to encourage you to take a look in the next few days.
The strategy contains a number of very positive elements. Particularly significant is the prioritisation of improving access to nature (Priority G), along with the commitment to addressing the stark inequalities in this access that exist between in different neighbourhoods and communities across our region (e.g. Action G3 on tree equity). The Trust is also pleased with the recognition of the vital role that nature has to play in helping our communities cope with climate change (Priority H) and with the prioritisation of ongoing monitoring of habitats and species across Birmingham and the Black Country (Priorities F and I).
Despite these positives and our input to the LNRS development process so far, the Trust also believes that there is room for improvement in the Strategy and the Combined Authority are keen to ensure the community's voice is heard.
As a Trust we believe it could be more ambitious. Our goal is to significantly increase the presence of nature in our urban region, so that by 2030 we have 30% of our landscape managed for nature – the so called ’30 by 30’ goal. We believe that it is vital to protect the nature we have and expand it through large-scale habitat creation and restoration. However, the LNRS currently emphasises efforts to ‘maintain’ and ‘improve’ nature more than work to ‘create’ or ‘expand’ it. Given the importance and influence of the LNRS, we don’t want to miss this opportunity to set an ambitious agenda for nature recovery.
We are also concerned that the maps that underpin the LNRS have the potential to lead to well-intentioned but misguided and inappropriate conservation work, such as the creation of one type of habitat where another could be more ecologically appropriate and resilient. Examples of this include the implication that parts of our own Moseley Bog Local Nature Reserve – a culturally and ecologically significant site consisting of a mosaic of woodland, wetland and meadow habitats - could be threatened by the drive to create (woodland) buffering habitats (Priority action B1). As it stands, the map could lead to confusion and misunderstanding of the value of existing habitats such as meadows and therefore risk damaging or replacing them. This system risks bypassing established knowledge and information sources that underpin a more nuanced, rigorous approach to setting nature recovery priorities.
We would urge all our members to look at the draft strategy document in the next couple of days. It is a very long document, but don’t be deterred! If you can’t look at the whole thing, we’d recommend that you look at Section 6 which states the Priorities, and access the online maps to explore what they suggest for your local area and other natural sites and greenspaces you know. Do the LNRS Priorities match what you feel should be the priorities for nature in the West Midlands? And do the maps identify possible changes that you would want to see?
You have until 23:59pm on Friday 12th September to respond.