NEWS FROM EXMOOR NATIONAL PARK AUTHORITY

Boost for Exmoor’s moorland

The future of Exmoor’s moorlands has received a significant boost with the news that, after 2 years work, Exmoor Landscape Partnership lead by Exmoor National Park Authority has been earmarked a Heritage Lottery Fund grant just under £1million to conduct 23 projects across 287 km2.

An initial grant of £69,700 will be used to help develop 23 different moorland projects over the coming year, ready for work to start ‘on the ground’ in 2009.  Although there is no guarantee that HLF will fund Exmoor through to this final hurdle, this grant takes the scheme one step further to the final goal of attracting the full grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund for Exmoor’s moorland. Giving people theopportunity and confidence to participate inconservation is at the heart of these plans. It will focus on helping people to understand, get involved in and celebrate the unique past of the scenery. Additionally, it will help support a thriving and sustainable local economy and restore and conserve the area’s wild and open character.

A team from the National Park Authority have lead on the scheme, working closely with a number of key partner organisations that have put forward many of the projects. Commenting on the award, Dr Nigel Stone, chief executive of Exmoor National Park Authority said: It’s great news that we have reached the next stage of our bid to attract funding for Exmoor’s moorland and I’d like to thank our partners and the many landowners and farmers for all their help in getting us to this stage.”

Kate Mitchell, Moorland Partnership Assistant at Exmoor National Park Authority said: The overarching theme for the projects is reconnection, we want to forge new connections between the moorland and the people who live around and visit it.  The projects include: a local schools project to discover how the moorland was used in the Second World War, a volunteer activity programme with ambitious target of involving 250 volunteers over the 3 years and an apprentice scheme to train up our moorland managers of the future.

Most importantly the whole scheme is about people – helping people access, understand, enjoy and celebrate their moorland heritage and so give them the confidence to participate in its conservation and we will want everyone to get involved.”