Rewilding in Practice - The Legal & Strategic Considerations

Introduction

Rewilding has gained significant momentum in recent years, with many landowners now exploring how to rewild part or all of their estates.

The Knepp Estate in West Sussex has demonstrated that rewilding can deliver not only substantial biodiversity gains but also financial viability.

This new virtual classroom seminar will explore how rewilding projects can offer a viable alternative land use strategy for farmers and landowners.

The session is suitable for lawyers advising clients in the agricultural and rural sectors who wish to understand the legal, financial, and policy frameworks surrounding rewilding.

What You Will Learn

This live and interactive course will cover the following:

• What is rewilding? How it differs from traditional conservation approaches
• Case studies - Yellowstone USA, Carrifran Scotland, Ennerdale Lake District, Knepp southern England
• UK policy landscape - government stance, environmental targets, and funding mechanisms
• Relevant UK legislation - including the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, Environment Act 2021, and other statutory frameworks
• Common law considerations - third-party liabilities, nuisance, and occupiers’ liability
• Legal status of reintroduced species - with a focus on beavers, lynx, and other keystone species
• Financing rewilding - Biodiversity Net Gain (‘BNG’), carbon credits, woodland and countryside stewardship grants
• Risks and opportunities for landowners - legal exposure, public access, insurance and land value implications
• Proposals for legal reform - how the law could evolve to better support rewilding initiatives
• The future of rewilding in the UK - trends, policy direction, and the role of legal professionals

Recording of live sessions: Soon after the Learn Live session has taken place you will be able to go back and access the recording - should you wish to revisit the material discussed.