The LNRS Viewer allows you to explore the spatial priorities and opportunities identified in Devon’s Local Nature Recovery Strategy.
Whether you’re a landowner, planner, community group, or simply interested in Devon’s natural environment, the viewer helps you understand where and how nature recovery can be supported.
We recommend reading the instructions below before opening the Viewer – the Near me (shows all layers in your area of interest) and Search functions are especially useful.
A video talking people through the Viewer will be added here before public consultation (we can’t produce it until we’ve confirmed the mapping layer approach with Natural England).
Click here to access the DRAFT Devon LNRS Viewer
A Mapping Methodology paper sets out how each layer has been mapped.
Pop up information boxes: When the LNRS goes out to public consultation each habitat and species layer will have a pop up box which gives headline information on the layer and a link to the relevant LNRS webpage. As the viewer currently resets pop-ups when new layers are added, we’ll be adding them closer to the public consultation to ensure they remain in place. We have therefore put all the proposed pop up text into a spreadsheet. Please share any comments. Viewer layers pop up text spreadsheet.
For the moment please click on wood white butterfly and wildlife-rich grasslands to see examples of what the pop up boxes will look like. Again please share thoughts.
What’s on the Viewer
These layers show all statutory and non-statutory wildlife sites as well as statutory irreplaceable habitats. These sites are hugely important for wildlife and are generally more likely to attract funding for management.
It is important to ensure that any land management actions don’t conflict with statutory requirements. Please check this layer and see the Environmental sensitivities table for details and contacts.
It is a statutory requirement to include this layer in the Local Habitat Map within the LNRS. The Environment Act refers to this layer as ‘Areas of Particular Importance for Biodiversity’.
These are areas where actions to manage, restore and create habitats are most needed.
It is a statutory requirement to include this layer in the Local Habitat Map within the LNRS and it is sometimes referred to as the ‘mapped actions’ layer.
Another layer will be added to the Viewer which cuts the designated sites and irreplaceable habitats out of the High Opportunity Areas layer. The Environment Act refers to this layer as ‘Areas that Could be of Particular Importance for Biodiversity’.
Includes areas where landscape-scale action is required for more mobile Focus Species (bats, birds, butterflies). There are also a few more focused areas mapped such as for the Teign Valley spiders. These layers are generally large landscapes and are not therefore included in the statutory Local Habitat Map which requires focused mapping.
Layers show where wildlife habitats are most needed to help meet priorities relating to water quality and flood risk. as for species this layers are cover huge areas and they are not therefore included in the statutory Local Habitat Map which requires focused mapping.
The BNG higher strategic significance score can be applied to any habitat actions which are within the High Opportunity Areas (HOA) and align with the relevant actions in the LNRS. It cannot be applied to terrestrial SSSIs or statutory irreplaceable habitats. If possible we will produce a BNG map but need advice from NE regs intertidal SSSIs. Further advice on BNG and the LNRS will be added prior to public consultation.
Wherever you are in Devon there are actions that you can take to help restore wildlife. See the most relevant habitat or species web page.
These are additional layers that provide important context and help guide broader nature recovery actions. They include soilscapes, agricultural land classification, common land, protected landscapes, landscape character and more.
The DEFRA Devon LNRS boundary.
How to use the Viewer
These instructions are being improved through discussion with partners. They will also be available on the Viewer prior to public consultation.
Please accept the Terms and Conditions when opening the LNRS Viewer in order to proceed.
There are two ways to open layers within the Viewer.
Option 1
Located on the left side of the viewer, the layers list allows you to switch on (or switch off) map layers.
When you open the Viewer, you’ll find a Layers section on the left-hand side. If you cannot see this, use the ‘ > ‘ symbol in the white box on the left side of the screen to expand it.
Once you are in the Layers section, click on the ‘ > ‘ icon next to Local Nature Recovery Strategy Public to open up each group of layers. This icon will appear next to every layer group that can be expanded.
- ✅ Green tick = Layer or group is switched on
- ⬜ Empty box = Layer or group is switched off
To view a specific layer, all groups above it must also be ticked (enabled).
You can choose to view several layers at a time: layers higher up the list will appear over the top of layers lower down the list. You may have to uncheck higher layers to see lower layers. Layers are not shown in priority order. Layers may also take time to load, particularly if they are large (data-rich) layers or if your broadband speed is low.
Option 2
The Near Me tool allows you to find and explore layers within a specified distance of a selected point or within a polygon that you have drawn on the map.
- Open the Near Me tool
- Click the Near Me icon in the top-right toolbar.
- Select drawing tool
- Option A
- Choose Point.
- Choose searchable distance.
- Choose a location by clicking anywhere on the map or drag and drop your point onto the map. This will search for features or data layers within the set distance from that point.
- Option B
- Choose Polygon.
- Use the polygon tool to draw a shape on the map.
- Double click on the last node to draw your shape.
- Option A
- View results
- A list of high opportunity areas within the search area will appear in the right-hand panel.
- Click on any item to see more details or zoom to its location.
- Bin
- Click on the trash can symbol to clear your selection.
Please be aware that only the following layer groups are active in the Near Me tool:
- High Opportunity Areas (Local Habitat Map)
- Species Opportunity Areas
- Water Quality and Flood Risk Opportunity Areas
- Opportunity For Nature Everywhere
Pop-ups
To access the information box (or pop-up) on a layer you have opened, click directly on a feature within that layer on the map to view its information.
Please note: pop-ups have only been enabled on the following examples:
- Wood white butterfly
- Wildlife-rich grasslands (existing)
Useful tools
Home
Click on the home icon to reset the map to its full extent.
Zoom
Use your mouse scroll wheel or the zoom buttons (+/-) to zoom in and out. Click and drag to move around the map.
1. Choose what is visible
(ignore this)
2. Search
Use the search bar to find specific locations (such as postcodes, towns, landmarks).
3. Near me
(explained above)
4. Legend
The Legend allows you to display any labels and symbols for layers in the Viewer.
5. Basemap gallery
This allows you to change the background map (or basemap) that appears under the data layers.