Farmers in National Parks will receive more funding to help them make improvements to the environment, the government has today confirmed.
Land managers based in England's National Parks or AONBs will also be able to use the funds to improve public access on their land.
The Farming in Protected Landscapes programme is open to all farmers and land managers based in these areas.
The government, announcing the programme on Thursday (24 June), encouraged those interested to apply from 1 July.
It said it had developed the fund as a way to push forward a 'renewed drive to support nature recovery within England's protected landscapes'.
Defra Secretary George Eustice said: “Our programme will provide additional investment to allow farmers to work in partnership with our National Park Authorities and AONB teams to improve public access.”
The scheme will be operated by the National Parks and AONB teams, and will be supported by Natural England.
The funding will go toward one-off projects to support nature recovery, improve public access and mitigate the impacts of climate change.
It also seeks to prop up projects that provide opportunities for people to enjoy the landscape and support sustainable farm businesses.
It is part of the government's landmark plans for a revamped agriculture sector outside of the European Union.
This year marks the start of a four-year transition period during which BPS payments will be phased out in the lead up to Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes.
