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What does Devon's Nature Recovery Map show?

Peter Cairns/2020VISION

The Devon Nature Recovery map is for organisations and specialists making regular choices about land use including Local Authorities and Local Planning Authorities, Government statutory agencies, environmental NGOs, private and public landowners, and infrastructure and utility providers.

It will provide users with a practical mapping tool accessed via Devon County Council's ‘Environment Viewer’ - an interactive online Geographic Information System (GIS) that shows different spatial information on a base map. Each piece of information is mapped onto a layer and different layers can be added over the map.  This will enable users to see the following in their area of interest:

  • Core nature areas (high value habitats – a priority to maintain and enhance)
  • Nature areas ( habitat that has value for connectivity purposes and / or is need of restoration)
  • Potential habitats (habitats that could be created categorised into: Primary - The habitats most likely to occupy an area, or likely to occupy the greatest area of a landscape, were it in a near-natural state. Secondary – the habitats second-most likely to occupy an area, or likely to occupy the second-greatest area of a landscape, were it in a near-natural state and Other - a range of habitats that could also be in an area, but with more local or niche distribution.

A guide to help community groups access the valuable information that the Devon Nature Recovery map offers will be available in 2022.

The Devon Nature Recovery Map consists of three elements

  • An online tool for non commercial use, hosted on Devon County Council's Environment Viewer interactive mapping service
  • Detailed high-resolution data is available through a data request or Service Level Agreement with Devon Biodiversity Records Centre – this will usually be subject to a charge;
  • Supporting documents are held on the Devon Local Nature Partnership website, which is the primary landing page for the Devon NRN Map.

 

How Devon's Nature Recovery Map can be used

 

  • To provide a spatial tool for identifying and prioritising the key existing and potential sites, areas, links and networks across Devon (including rural, urban, coastal and inshore marine areas) to enable nature’s recovery. This will include non-statutory and undesignated sites, recognising their importance in the network.
  • To enable land-use decision-makers to have access to up-to-date high-quality biodiversity data that is easy to interpret that enables good decision-making for nature’s recovery at a landscape-scale, without the need for specialist skills or knowledge.
  • To provide a public engagement tool that helps understanding of landscape-scale approaches to nature recovery, providing inspiration and a strategic approach for all, including those with non-technical backgrounds.
  • To bring together all stakeholders across sectors to use a single approach to nature’s restoration to ensure efficacy and best value. Tying the NRN into local plans, strategic plans, management plans, etc will give the NRN weight.
  • To provide a suitable tool which can act as a basis for mechanisms of delivery such as natural capital, ecosystem service mapping, and rewilding. These will potentially provide funding and mechanisms to support nature’s recovery.

 

 

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