The Habitat Restoration Project was initiated by English Nature in 1996 to find out if habitat fragmentation and degradation could be reversed by targeting the current range of environmental land management schemes. The Suffolk trial area was one of four nationally and was promoted locally as the Renewing the Alde Project. Its aim was to implement the national objectives of the Habitat Restoration Project at a local level. The Suffolk Wildlife Trust was chosen to manage the project. The trial area comprised 103 square kilometres of land that lies within the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Natural Area. It contains a wide variety of semi-natural habitats of high conservation value. During the first year, an initial assessment of landowner attitudes was made, land use surveys were carried out and the vision was formulated. The vision identified priority species and habitats for restoration based on current national and local conservation concerns and set targets for the restoration of these habitats. It set preferred zones for the restoration of particular habitats based on local features, such as geology and landform and the distribution of existing habitats. Years two and three were used to implement the aims and objectives of the project.
A printed copy of this old English Nature report is available from our Enquiry Service. Tel: 0845 600 3078 Email: enquiries@naturalengland.org.uk