Executive summary of the Natural Environment Plan actions
In delivering the Natural Environment Plan over the next five years, the WMCA will:
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Launch a Community Green Grants programme that provides communities with funding to deliver projects that improve access to, and quality of, green and blue spaces for those that need it most.
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Build on the launch of the West Midlands Virtual Forest to co-ordinate an ambitious regional tree planting programme, starting with the planting of the Commonwealth Games 2022 Legacy Forest by Severn Trent Water.
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Set up a Wildlife Corridors Commission to develop a ‘doorstep to landscape’ vision for the region, maximising the connectivity, for both people and wildlife, through green and blue corridors.
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Develop regional natural capital data capture and mapping to better understand the state of the region’s nature and prepare the foundations for a Local Nature Recovery Strategy.
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Produce the first West Midlands Natural Capital Investment Plan that prioritises investment opportunities, funding requirements and routes to delivery, for the protection, restoration and enhancement of the region’s natural environment.
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Explore ways to ensure biodiversity net gain across new transport infrastructure and other developments funded by the WMCA.
WMCA will work with regional partners on key initiatives that will:
- Develop the West Midlands National Park concept and implement the awards programme
- Create a new national walking trail in the West Midlands
- Support the enhancement of the region’s world famous canal network
- Provide natural capital apprenticeship opportunities
- Give people better understanding of how to get involved in local initiatives that can improve their natural environment