Ref: CSFF040001

Lead: Sarah Bolton, Sarah@ribbletrust.com

Group members: 18

Length of agreement: 5

Area of group (Hectares): 2286

Priorities

    • Managing moorlands and the moorland fringe within the Forest of Bowland AONB, restore blanket bog, wet heath and upland mire habitats to benefit flood risk management, carbon storage, water quality, drinking water resources, biodiversity and historic features
    • Restoring and re-establishing hedgerows and stone walls within the Forest of Bowland AONB in locations where this will intercept flowing water and increase habitat connectivity to benefit landscape character, biodiversity, water quality and flood risk management
    • Establishing new wetland habitat within the Loud & Ribble catchments in locations where this will benefit water quality, biodiversity, landscape character and flood risk management
    • Enhancing and expanding low-input species-rich grassland in locations where this will benefit biodiversity, carbon storage, wild pollinators, landscape character and water quality within the Loud catchment
    • Enhancing existing woodlands and expanding woodland cover in locations where well managed woodland can benefit landscape character, biodiversity, water quality and flood risk, in addition to wider climate change, economic and social benefits – key locations include: flood plains, incised river valleys and cloughs within the Wenning, Ribble, Conder, Hodder and Lune river catchments.

These will be targeted to specific locations using Ribble Rivers Trust Ecosystem visualisation maps, and hydrological flow path outputs. This will be combined with walkover data already held, or to be undertaken by farmers.