The Cairngorms National Park Authority and Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority have been awarded a share of £550,000 from the Scottish Government to support ecological restoration and species recovery projects in their areas.

The type of projects that funding will be directed towards include landscape-scale partnerships that are helping to deliver nature restoration – while integrating successfully with land management businesses.

Investment will also be made in innovative solutions that tackle the nature crisis and continue to build momentum for practical solutions such as sustainable moorland management and integrated peatland, woodland and freshwater restoration at catchment scale.

Funding will also support long term projects and partnerships with capital finance, allowing Park Authorities to move away from the current process of awarding a series of annual grants.

Instead a system that increases operational capacity and resilience that secures wider funding opportunities will evolve – helping to reduce the dependency on public funds while still delivering for nature.

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Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park is home to more than 300 national priority species and over 60 Designated Sites recognised for their special habitats and species. The National Park Authority is working with partners, communities and land managers on a Future Nature programme to halt nature loss in the National Park by 2030 and achieve widespread restoration and recovery of nature by 2040.

Biodiversity Minister Lorna Slater said: “Scotland’s National Parks are unique places that provide so many benefits for nature, climate and people. Both Parks have a vital role to play in securing a more sustainable future for Scotland and helping us meet our ambitious target to restore biodiversity by 2045.

“This award is part of our Nature Restoration Fund – Scotland’s largest ever fund for nature. Since we launched the fund at COP26 this is already having a real impact across Scotland, restoring rivers and floodplains, regenerating our forests and recovering our wildlife populations.”