What it is
A 20-year partnership between Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and 18 upland landowners in the Ure Dales to restore a connected landscape of peatland, woodland, river and species-rich grassland — while keeping working farms working.
Funded by ’s , with additional revenue from a farm-ecological , , and premium market access.
What it delivers
- For the land: restored peatland, replanted woodland, healthier rivers, measurable return of wildlife.
- For landowners: long-horizon income, reduced administrative burden through shared services, premium market access, and a trustmark earned through audited stewardship.
- For the dales community: a working landscape that remains inhabited and farmed, plus — depending on the distribution model chosen — a direct community dividend.
- For the wider public: a transparently governed scheme whose decisions and money flows are open to inspection.
How long
20 years. Year 1 is and delivery-plan agreement. Tier awards begin in Year 3. First review in Year 5. Mid-term renegotiation window Year 10–12. protections Year 18–20.
Exit available without penalty after Year 3. The scheme is designed so that individual exits do not destabilise it.
How it is paid for
DEFRA funding at its core, with the scheme designed so that by Year 5, private finance, shared-services savings and trustmark-backed premium market revenue reduce DEFRA dependency. Individual landowner income varies by holding size, tier, and chosen surplus distribution model — worked examples available on request.
How it is governed
A Consortium of the 18 landowners plus YWT. Decisions made by consent, not top-down. A Single Legal Entity (SLE) holds the DEFRA contract — the Consortium is choosing between four SLE governance options on 30 April 2026.
Independent Audit and Standards Committee assures the trustmark.
What happens on 30 April 2026
A facilitated workshop for the 18 landowners, designed as listen → map → decide. Six decisions are on the table (governance option, surplus distribution model, trustmark participation, audit model, timeline, 4 Returns framing). A 14-day ratification period follows the workshop — no permanent decisions are made in a single afternoon.
What it is not
Not rewilding. Not a takeover. Not a charity project dressed as farming. Not an ELM replacement. Not irreversible.