THREATENED wildlife habitat on Exmoor could have a new lease of life thanks to the chance of money from a new national £30 million ‘Wildlife-Rich Habitat Fund’ announced by the Government this week.

Part of a three-year campaign to cut species decline by 2030, the fund offers new opportunities for farmers and land managers to work with Exmoor National Park Authority (ENPA) to make the landscape more wildlife-friendly.

An ENPA spokesperson said: “For Exmoor, this investment could help restore and connect a rich mosaic of habitats including species-rich grassland, wetlands, rivers, streams, floodplains, heathland, and woodland.

“This will support nature recovery while strengthening the resilience of the landscape to climate change.

“On Exmoor, habitat restoration will directly support species that depend on healthy, connected landscapes, including the marsh fritillary butterfly and water vole.

“Work to improve damp, flower-rich grasslands and suitable wetland and riverbank habitat will also be vital in helping threatened species recover and spread.”

The fund will support practical action across Exmoor over the next three years, with ENPA working alongside farmers, land managers, conservation partners, and local communities to deliver projects rooted in local priorities.

This could include restoring wet grassland, enhancing river and wetland habitats so wildlife can thrive.

The spokesperson said the new scheme will build on wider nature recovery work already under way on Exmoor, including ambitions to restore and create habitat through landscape-scale initiatives, improve the condition of rivers, streams, and wetlands, and work with land managers to make space for wildlife alongside sustainable farming.

ENPA head of nature and climate Clare Reid said: “We welcome this investment and it is a real opportunity for Exmoor.

“It could help us work with farmers, land managers, and local communities to restore and reconnect important habitats across the national park, from species-rich grasslands and wetlands to rivers, streams, and valley landscapes.

“By improving wet grassland for marsh fritillary butterflies and restoring healthier wetland and riverbank habitat for water voles, we can support species that are closely tied to Exmoor’s special landscapes.

“Just as important, this fund could help strengthen the partnerships that are essential to delivering nature recovery on Exmoor in a way that benefits wildlife, people, and place.”

Minister for Nature Mary Creagh said: "Our national parks and protected landscapes are home to some of our most marginal species.

“Our ‘Wild Again’ funding is already turning the tide on their decline.

“It will mean more birdsong, flower meadows full of bees and butterflies, and new areas of native woodlands.

“We are funding this recovery with the highest ever budget for nature, field by field, across England's most iconic and beautiful landscapes.”

The ‘Wildlife-Rich Habitat Fund’ will provide ring-fenced funding of £10 million a financial year from 2026 to 2029 and forms part of ‘Wild Again: Restoring England's Wildlife’, the Government's umbrella campaign to halt species decline.

Land managers and farmers who are interested in applying for ‘Wildlife-Rich Habitat’ funding should contact ENPA’s Farming in Protected Landscapes team by emailing [email protected].