The local nature recovery strategy is still in draft. A public consultation was held from 7 May to 30 July 2025 and is now closed. We are now reviewing responses and updating the strategy. The final strategy will be published here in December 2025.
Dorset’s nature recovery maps are tools that can be used to identify opportunities and guide nature recovery activities in the county based on shared priorities agreed by local people and organisations.  

A collection of layers make up Dorset’s nature recovery maps. Three layers form part of the local nature recovery strategy, together these are called the Local Habitat Map.  

The Local Habitat Map shows: 

Dorset’s nature areas of national importance

Dorset’s nature areas of national importance layer combines all the sites that are currently recognised and protected within the land-use planning system for their biodiversity value.  

It includes: 

  • national conservation sites
  • Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) 
  • Ramsar (wetland of international importance) 
  • National Nature Reserve (NNR) 
  • Special Area of Conservation (SAC) 
  • Special Protection Area (SPA) 
  • Local Nature Reserves (LNR)  
  • irreplaceable habitat 

Defra calls this layer Areas of Particular Importance for Biodiversity (APIB). 

Dorset’s high opportunity nature areas

Dorset’s high opportunity nature areas are where efforts should be targeted to meet Dorset’s nature recovery priorities and will help guide where funding is targeted. It was created from:

  • farmers, landowners and land managers putting forward their land where they are planning to do something to help nature recovery  
  • modelling of opportunities to expand and connect the largest areas of semi-natural habitat (wetland, heathland, grassland, woodland and coastal habitats) in Dorset
  • modelling of where habitat creation or enhancement could help address inequalities in people’s access to nature-rich areas near their homes  
  • cutting out the highest-grade agricultural land, dense housing areas, and the nature areas of national importance layer

The high opportunity nature areas do not overlap with the nature areas of national importance. This is because lots of the nature areas of national importance already have statutory management plans that include nature recovery activities. 

Defra calls this layer Areas that could become of Importance for Biodiversity (ACB).

Dorset’s potential activities

The potential activities layer suggests what activities to do where, to help achieve the nature recovery priorities.  

The layer shows primary and secondary activities. Primary activities suggest what type of habitat creation or enhancement could be most beneficial in an area. This is based on the data that created the high opportunity nature areas and takes into account that some habitat types are particularly scarce in Dorset.  

Secondary activities are also provided to reflect that it may often be beneficial to consider a mix of habitat types or nature recovery activities as part of a land management plan.  

The primary and secondary activities are a guide, not a prescription. Site-specific assessments and management plans would confirm what would work best in an area. Additional advice on ecology, planning requirements, historic environment and funding options may be needed to deliver the activity suggested. There are lots of organisations and partnerships in Dorset that can help with this. 

Defra calls this layer Potential Measures (PM).

Using the mapped and written activities together

The potential activities layer gives a broad suggestion of primary and secondary activities, but this could involve doing many different things that are not all mapped. So, this layer must be used alongside the potential activities listed under the 12 local nature recovery strategy priorities in the written part of the strategy.  

For example, if you are looking at the potential activities layer and the primary activity is “create or enhance woodland habitat”, you should read the potential activities listed under priority 2. 

Many potential activities need to be delivered right across the county, or cannot be shown spatially, and so are not mapped.

For example: 

  • wildlife-friendly gardening and urban greening
  • sustainable farming practices
  • feasibility studies to identify suitable locations for species recovery 
Along the coast, the Local Habitat Map extends to the mean low water line, except where the council boundary extends beyond this, such as Poole Harbour. Dorset's nature areas of national importance includes some marine sites beyond this boundary because potential activities on the land can have a positive effect on them. However, it is beyond the scope of this strategy to map high opportunity nature areas and potential activities in marine areas.

Guide to Dorset’s nature recovery maps 

Find out more about how to use the Local Habitat Map and how we produced each layer in the Guide to Dorset's nature recovery maps.

The guide also explains more about the additional layers that are available as part of Dorset’s nature recovery maps. These additional layers do not form part of the local nature recovery strategy, they are extra tools that may provide helpful information on nature in Dorset and opportunities for recovery. 

Watch this video for an overview of what the maps show and how to use them.

View Dorset’s nature recovery maps

Achieving nature recovery 

The maps visualise the important nature areas in Dorset, and guide where there is an opportunity to deliver the potential activities. The data behind the maps can help us understand the scale of habitat creation, restoration and nature-friendly land management needed to achieve our shared vision for nature recovery in Dorset and contribute to the 30 by 30 target.

The figures below show how much of Dorset is currently covered by semi-natural habitat and protected nature areas. The figures also indicate how much more of Dorset could be contributing to nature recovery over the next 10 years, as everyone delivers the potential activities as part of our joint mission.

Nature in Dorset now

The current picture based on the best available data: 
  • the nature areas of national importance layer cover 11.5% of Dorset, these are sites protected within the land-use planning system for their biodiversity value 
  • semi-natural habitat covers 19.3% of Dorset, made up of the following broad habitat classes:
    • unimproved and semi-improved grassland covers 3.3% of Dorset 
    • broadleaved and mixed woodland covers 10.4%
    • heathland covers 2.2%
    • rivers and other water bodies cover 1.7%
    • wetland covers 0.4%
    • coastal covers 1.3%
  • large semi-natural habitat areas, over 100 hectares, cover 9.7%

Nature recovery in Dorset in the next 10 years 

A guide to what we can achieve based on implementing the priorities and activities in the high opportunity nature areas:
  • the high opportunity nature areas layer covers 49.1% of Dorset
  • if you combine that with the existing nature areas of national importance this covers 60.6% of Dorset, showing how the nature recovery network could grow and help achieve 30 by 30