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Nature Restoration Fund is driver for restoration
An interim evaluation of the Nature Restoration Fund has been published
An interim evaluation of the Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund (NRF) has just been published.
The fund supports hundreds of projects to put Scotland’s land, rivers, seas and wildlife back on the road to recovery. Between 2021–24, the Nature Restoration Fund (NRF) invested £35.5 million, supporting nearly 800 projects to promote nature recovery, achieving:
- 15,427ha of project activity
- 103,436ha and 216km of linear habitat protected from invasive species
- 328,813 trees planted and 68.3km of hedgerows created
- More than 282ha of habitat for pollinators restored or created
- 314ha of wetlands created or restored
- 300 ponds and scrapes created
- 19km of aquatic and riparian habitat restored
- 1,818ha of urban greenspace restored in towns and cities
The Nature Restoration Fund (NRF) provides an important vehicle to help Scotland tackle the nature emergency and climate crises by supporting practical, on-the-ground action for habitats and species, restoring nature and improving biodiversity on land and seas. The fund is designed to help Scotland meet ambitions to be “Nature Positive by 2030, and to have restored and regenerated biodiversity across the country by 2045″*.
The NRF has enabled projects that would not have been possible through other funding sources and has unlocked at least £7.1 million in match funding and in-kind contributions. To date, the NRF has supported nature recovery in over 309,000 hectares targeted to deliver across eight NRF programme and five long-term outcomes.
The interim report includes 19 powerful case studies, which demonstrate the effectiveness of the funding. These include: Balgavies Loch Sediment Treatment Pond, Angus, Black Hills Regeneration Project, Knoydart and the Peffery Catchment Restoration Programme to name just three.
Through NatureScot’s management of the fund, people are being supported to take action for nature across the country. All of this is helping Scotland reach nature positive goals by 2030 and restoring nature by 2045.
The report concludes with:
Find the full interim report at: Interim-evaluation-nature-restoration-fund
