Lincolnshire’s new national nature reserve is ‘a landmark moment for nature recovery in England’, Natural England has said.
The Lincolnshire Coronation Coast National Nature Reserve stretches almost 30km of coastline, covering 33km2 of sand dunes, salt marshes, mudflats and freshwater marshes.
The new site was formally established this week and brings together the existing Donna Nook and Saltfleetby-Theddlethorpe Dunes nature reserves.
With added land, it has expanded to become the ninth largest national nature reserve in England.
The coastal site will be managed by Natural England in partnership with Lincolnshire County Council, North East Lincolnshire Council, Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust, the Ministry of Defence, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and the Environment Agency.
Natural England chair Tony Juniper said the project was ‘a fine example of how broad partnerships can be harnessed for nature recovery at scale’.
He added: ‘This reserve also presents opportunities for local people to connect with amazing wildlife while also providing an attractive destination for tourists to visit, bringing benefits to the economy too.’
North East Lincolnshire Council leader Cllr Philip Jackson said: ‘With its sand dunes and salt marsh, our coastline is an internationally important landscape for wildlife. We’re lucky to have it on our doorstep.’
The Lincolnshire nature reserve is the first in a series to be established during the reign of King Charles III, which will see five major national nature reserves created every year for five years.
