Collaborations between farmers, land managers, gamekeepers, nature NGOs, local authorities, local communities, Defra nature agencies and the National Landscape team delivered work including:
- over 14,000 ha of peatland restoration
- 168ha of hay meadow restoration
- £7m investment on farms through the Farming in Protected Landscapes programme, across 370 projects
- 200+ farmers creating benefits for nature through the Tees Swale programme and the beginnings of the Landscape Connections programme
- farmers and land managers delivering for nature through agri-environment schemes
- 300 ha new woodland planted or supported to become established by the National Landscape team, plus that delivered by others
- over 150 scrapes for waders
- predator control by gamekeepers protecting breeding waders and other species
- multiple projects conserving rivers and water courses, often lead by Rivers Trusts and private landowners
- major work at two locations in Teesdale to address diffuse pollution through nature-based solutions
- management of wildfire risk by estates
- 13 historic buildings or structures conserved and/or interpreted
- the creation of the 301 mile ‘Roof of England Walk’
- local management of the Pennine Way National Trailm
- multiple new self-guided trails on themes including landscapes, geology, birdlife, historic landscapes and features
- a network of off-road mobility scooters
- thousands of school visits supported in school and in the landscape, including through educational farm visits to locations such as Bowlees Farm in Teesdale and Acton Farm near Blanchland
- nature and conservation themed public events and activities, including over 1000 individual events through the Tees Swale programme, Heritage Open Days e.g. at Nenthead Mines, the North Pennines Moorland Group’s ‘Let’s Learn Moor’ event.
- seven Stargazing Festivals and two North Pennines NatureFests
Some of the above interventions for nature and access have been delivered through agri-environment schemes. These schemes – Sustainable Farming Incentive, Countryside Stewardship and Landscape Recovery – will continue to be the main mechanism for bringing investment into the farmed and managed landscape and delivering much of this plan.