Tim Slaney, Interim Chief Executive of the South Downs National Park Authority, said: "Nature is in crisis and National Parks need to be at the heart of raising our national ambitions and delivering a future where nature is thriving rather than simply surviving.

“We welcome the spotlight on nature from the Campaign for National Parks’ health check report on nature recovery. The report identifies some of the serious challenges facing National Parks across England and Wales as we look to deliver thriving, nature-rich landscapes – lack of enough, consistent and long-term funding, and lack of power over how land is managed.

“That is why we and other National Parks developed Wildlife Delivery Plans and in 2021, we launched our ambitious South Downs ReNature Campaign – 33% by 2030 – in partnership with the South Downs National Park Trust. The initiative aims to create 13,000 hectares of new habitat and ensure the remaining 67% of the National Park is nature-friendly through improving existing habitats across farms, woods, rivers, towns and villages.”