Funding through the NIA programme ended in March 2015, but the 12 projects were able to carry on using their own resources. The 3 year monitoring and evaluation process has just been completed and will be published soon. The 12 projects have made an impact on nature conservation in England. Six of the NIAs have provided case studies which show significant differences to: habitat - creation or restoration of new priority habitat habitat - maintenance or improvement of existing priority habitat habitat connectivity species recovery social and economic benefits innovation collaborative working eg across government bodies, local delivery and partnerships ecosystem services volunteers adding value effective communication See the results of this large project in the Dark Peak , as an example of improving and creating high quality woodland. Poor quality non-native conifers have been replaced with open moorland habitat and native sessile oak woodland. This project provided a net gain of 14.4 hectares of woodland and 8.58 hectares of upland heath.

Corporate report

Nature Improvement Areas: locations and progress

Updated 20 January 2016

Applies to England

This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk.

Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.

This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nature-improvement-areas-improved-ecological-networks/nature-improvement-areas-locations-and-progress

The map of Nature Improvement Areas (NIA) in England shows the locations of each of the 12 projects.

Update on progress

Funding through the NIA programme ended in March 2015, but the 12 projects were able to carry on using their own resources. The 3 year monitoring and evaluation process has just been completed and will be published soon.

The 12 projects have made an impact on nature conservation in England. Six of the NIAs have provided case studies which show significant differences to:

habitat - creation or restoration of new priority habitat
habitat - maintenance or improvement of existing priority habitat
habitat connectivity
species recovery
social and economic benefits
innovation
collaborative working eg across government bodies, local delivery and partnerships
ecosystem services
volunteers
adding value
effective communication

See the results of this large project in the Dark Peak, as an example of improving and creating high quality woodland. Poor quality non-native conifers have been replaced with open moorland habitat and native sessile oak woodland. This project provided a net gain of 14.4 hectares of woodland and 8.58 hectares of upland heath.