Businesses, industry and economy potential activities

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The potential activities below could be done by businesses, industry and economy to help achieve Dorset’s nature recovery priorities. Select the titles to see what potential activities could help achieve each priority. 

1. Priority 1 Grasslands
2. Priority 2 Woodlands
3. Priority 3 Heathlands
4. Priority 4 Rivers, lakes and wetlands
5. Priority 5 Coastal
6. Priority 6 Urban
7. Priority 7 Farming
8. Priority 8 Natural processes
9. Priority 9 Nature-based solutions
10. Priority 10 Nature connection
11. Priority 11 Species abundance and diversity

Priority 1 Grasslands

Potential activities for grasslands include:

• create more species-rich grassland habitats
• adapt mowing and maintenance regimes in greenspaces, such as parks, sports fields, and grounds of hospitals or businesses, to create connected wild patches and meadows, and areas for insects to overwinter
• manage road verges using ‘cut and collect’ to restore and maintain wildflower-rich habitat
• reduce the use of chemicals such as pesticides and fertilisers on farmland and gardens
• encourage diverse sward heights on grassland, with some areas developing into longer tussocks, pockets of scrub and keeping some bare ground to increase diversity and help join up different habitats
• make existing species-rich grassland bigger, expanding them to be big enough to protect from external pressures, enhance resilience and encourage natural processes
• create species-rich grassland on renewable energy sites
• source local seeds or green hay from existing species-rich grassland (source/arc/donor sites) to restore meadows in other places in Dorset
• enhance and create hedgerows alongside species-rich grassland to help transition between grassland and other habitat types

Priority 2 Woodlands

Potential activities for woodlands include:

• establish new woodlands consistent with the UK Forest Standard, applying the ‘right tree, right place’ principle. Ideally create new woodland that buffers, expands and links existing woodlands, especially ancient woodlands
• source and use a diverse range of bio-secure trees and plants for tree and woodland establishment projects. Use a broad and mixed palette suited to objectives. Consider the use of native, near native and non-native species to ensure resilience
• enhance and create hedgerows to ensure a diverse mix of tree and hedgerow plants and stagger the management cycle

Priority 3 Heathlands

Potential activities for heathlands include:

• restore heathland habitat on former minerals and waste sites

Priority 4 Rivers, lakes and wetlands

Potential activities for rivers, lakes and wetlands include:

• reconnect rivers to their historic floodplain and re-establish dynamic wetland habitats
• carry out river restoration. For example, re-meander rivers that have been straightened to allow the water to take a natural path or put natural materials into the river channel to slow the flow of water (leaky dams)
• restore and ‘re-wet’ peatlands to provide wildlife habitat and act as sponges that filter water to improve water quality, regulate water flow, increase flood protection and improve carbon storage
• introduce mixed age cyclical reed cutting into reedbed management plans where possible, creating mixed age reed stands and enhancing habitats. Explore the potential to use materials from reedbed management to supply bioenergy, or once water quality improves, the thatching industry to help reduce its carbon footprint
• use permeable materials if creating hard surfaces in urban areas, such as driveways, to direct rainwater into soakaways and back into the ground rather than the wastewater system. Avoid sealed surfaces like concrete and artificial grass that water runs over quickly and into drains
• use sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) in towns and villages, such as rain gardens, swales, street trees and ponds to slow and clean water, and provide wetland or boggy habitat
• improve maintenance of septic tanks and sewage treatment works to reduce pollution reaching waterbodies
• consider the role of beavers in maintaining and creating wetlands, follow all licencing procedures for beaver releases and plan the management of potential impacts on infrastructure, livelihoods and buildings
• reduce the volume of water abstraction from the chalk aquifer, to support nature recovery of chalk streams

Priority 5 Coastal

Potential activities for coastal include:

• reduce nutrients entering coastal waters through changes to farming practices, development and wastewater treatment
• pull back from intensive farming in fields close to cliff edges, to create space for cliff top habitats and wildlife to survive and move as the coastline recedes through cliff falls and landslips

Priority 6 Urban

Potential activities for urban include:

• use wildlife-friendly gardening practices in homes, businesses, community growing projects, churchyards and similar spaces
• adapt mowing and maintenance regimes in green spaces such as parks, sports fields, and grounds of hospitals, schools or businesses. Create wild patches and meadows, and areas for insects to overwinter
• create sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) features in towns and villages, such as rain gardens, swales, street trees and ponds to slow water and provide wetland or boggy habitat
• increase other kinds of urban greening such as living walls and green roofs, on both existing and new buildings, or other infrastructure such as bus shelters
• increase tree canopy cover by establishing and maintaining more trees in gardens, parks, and along streets, focusing on areas that have the lowest tree equity scores. For Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, follow the guiding principles outlined in BCP Urban Forest Strategy 
• in new developments, keep as many existing trees on site as possible and if trees are lost, carry out new tree planting, with numbers greater than those removed. Favour local and native species, or new species that provide a similar ecological function if more resilient or suited to the urban environment
• maintain and establish new fruit trees and orchards within public spaces. And establish related community groups and ways for people to use the fruit and care for the trees
• increase the use of hedges, rather than just fences and walls, around homes, gardens, and public open spaces
• continue and expand Dorset’s successful ‘cut and collect’ approach to road verge management, to restore and maintain wildflower-rich habitat
• manage verges, hedgerows and trees alongside road and rail infrastructure to create wildlife corridors and consider installing green crossings to reduce habitat fragmentation
• use permeable materials if creating hard surfaces in urban areas, such as driveways, to direct rainwater into soakaways that flow back down into the ground instead of the wastewater system and therefore reduce flood risk. Limit use of sealed surfaces like concrete and artificial grass that water runs over quickly, flowing into drains and the wastewater system
• use water butts to catch rainwater and use this to water plants during drier months. This water is good for the garden as it’s rich in nutrients and helps conserve drinking water
• increase natural darkness by using timers and movement sensors on household and street lighting, to reduce light pollution that disturbs the natural rhythms of wildlife, for example, bats, birds, insects. Choose lights that are not too bright and warmer shades, then position the lights as low as possible and pointing downwards rather than into the sky
• make nature recovery a key consideration in development, following policy and guidance on biodiversity net gain, green infrastructure, urban greening, sustainable drainage systems (SuDs), sustainable/active travel, landscape character, suitable alternative natural greenspace (SANGs), and habitat restoration on minerals and waste sites Include species enhancements in the design of new buildings and developments. For example, bird and bat boxes/bricks, bee bricks, hedgehog highways
• consider and mitigate impacts on bats and birds before starting any renovation or repair works on buildings or structures, so that species can continue using the site once the works are complete

Priority 7 Farming

Potential activities for farming include:

• support initiatives that improve marketing of local sustainable produced food, and help connect farmers and consumers
• support farmers and land managers to work together to enable efficient woodland management, sale of timber wood products and best practice on management and biosecurity

Priority 8 Natural processes

There aren't any specific activities listed against this priority for businesses, industry and economy. You can look at other sectors for activities that you could deliver or you may be able to apply elements of this approach within smaller scale projects.

Priority 9 Nature-based solutions

Potential activities for nature-based solutions include:

• establish and maintain more native trees in towns and villages to improve air quality, provide shade from extreme heat, increase carbon storage, improve water quality and provide natural flood management. Increase tree canopy cover in all urban areas, especially areas that have the lowest tree equity scores
• follow a natural flood management (NFM) approach to protect, restore and emulate the natural functions of catchments, floodplains, rivers and the coast
• create or restore wet habitats in floodplains to help store flood water and catch nutrients and sediments before they enter rivers. These areas can also provide healthy food for livestock to graze during drier weather, and become havens for pollinators and other wildlife. Beavers can be part of the process of creating expanded wetland habitats
• use permeable materials if creating hard surfaces in urban areas, such as driveways, and limit use of sealed surfaces like concreate and artificial grass that water quickly runs over into drains. By redirecting water into natural soakaways, rather than the wastewater system, can help reduce flood risk and reduce the number of storm overflow discharges
• use sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) in towns and villages, such as rain gardens, water butts, swales, street trees and ponds to slow and clean water, and provide wetland or boggy habitat. This can help reduce flood risk and reduced the number of storm overflow discharges
• enhance and create habitats to help mitigate climate change, natural habitats capture and store carbon. Peatland, broadleaved woodland and saltmarsh are examples of habitats that tend to be larger carbon stores, but many other habitat types provide some carbon storage, and a variety of habitats is needed for a functioning ecosystem
• create wetlands to provide final treatment of wastewater before this recycled water is safely returned back into the environment
• create new wetlands to treat discharges of untreated sewage from storm overflows before they are released into rivers and waterways
• enhance and create hedgerows that slow the flow of water across the landscape, which helps reduce flood risk and improve water quality by reducing the amount of sediment and pollution in rivers. Hedges are also a carbon store, as well as providing wildlife habitats and corridors
• create buffer strips near waterbodies on farms to reduce sediment and chemicals entering water
• embed the importance of nature recovery across all organisations so that senior decision-makers champion nature and consider nature-based solutions as part of decision making

Priority 10 Nature connection

Potential activities for nature connection include:

• showcase and champion the huge range of activities already happening for nature recovery in Dorset, and celebrate the people involved to help inspire others
• continue and grow Dorset’s strong history of partnership working. For example, farm clusters, catchment based approach, and landscape recovery projects. Use this strategy as a tool to help target collaborative efforts, working together across sectors by listening without judgement, sharing knowledge and pooling resources
• share advice to help develop and implement a land management plan, if one is not already in place. For example, for farmers, landowner, land managers, community groups, town and parish councils, schools
• support rural skills development and rural workers to strengthen the nature-based local economy. For example, business hubs, affordable housing tied to local forestry or agriculture, promoting sustainable tourism and linking with the outdoor activity sector
• use public sector resources to carry out nature recovery projects as demonstrators (for example, nutrient mitigation or county farms), then champion the private sector to drive delivery
• provide training to landscape architects and grounds maintenance teams on wildlife-friendly gardening practices
• show how businesses can deliver nature recovery actions at different scales. For example, Sustainable Business Network, BCP Council Nature Pledge. Celebrate stories of businesses who success is based on working in harmony with a healthy natural environment
• acquire long-term funding to support project development, capital investment and ongoing maintenance of interventions
• provide guidance to help developers consider sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) at an early stage of design and planning, and how these can provide multiple benefits for water quality and biodiversity

Priority 11 Species abundance and diversity

Potential activities for species abundance and diversity include:

• create a network of naturally functioning diverse habitats across the county, supported by more nature-friendly land management practices across all the surrounding areas by delivering the activities listed under all the other priorities in this strategy
• make simple changes across Dorset to help increase species abundance, such as herbal leys and diverse seed mixes on farms, encouraging natural regeneration of woodlands, and leaving wilder areas in parks and open spaces
• use wildlife-friendly gardening practices. For example, peat-free compost, hedgehog house, not using chemicals or slug pellets
• use local and native species when creating new spaces for nature as part of building development, but also consider new species where these provide a similar ecological function and are suited to the built environment
• undertake targeted and sustained control of non-native and invasive plants and animals, for example, rhododendron, Himalayan balsam, snowberry, sour fig, cotoneaster, Japanese rose, giant hogweed and mink
• coordinate landscape sale management of sustainable deer populations to improve the ecological condition of semi-natural habits, supporting the natural regeneration of trees, woody shrubs and ground flora, and to protect agricultural crops. Control muntjac deer, as a non-native invasive species. Within both Wareham and Purbeck focus management actions upon sika deer populations
• coordinate shared approach to respond to ash dieback across land ownership boundaries
• if plants or trees are lost to disease, re-plant with more resistant species but make sure these perform similar ecological functions and are native if possible
• explore options for landscape scale management of grey squirrel populations and deliver this to improve ecological condition of woodlands and reduce pressures on other animals, such as mammals and birds. Include an evaluation of the feasibility for pine marten reintroduction
• use native plant and tree species to support the local food web and wildlife, but also support the use of new species and varieties where these enhance ecological function and resilience to pests, diseases, climate change and extreme weather
• increase connectivity between habitats to enable species to move in response to new climate pressures

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