( CNN ) -- One of the UK 's most critically endangered butterflies is making a comeback thanks to a profit making partnership between private landowners and conservation organizations . The heath fritillary -- a rare species exclusive to the south of England that thrives in cleared woodland environments -- has declined sharply over the past 25 years as forest clearing has become less common . But population numbers are on the rise again after the introduction of a forestry management scheme that enables rural landowners to cash in by creating butterfly habitats on their property . `` We were down to 12 colonies ( of heath fritillary ) in 1995 and most of those were very small , '' says Dr. Martin Warren , chief executive of Butterfly Conservation , the organization behind the projects implementation . `` Since then we 've been able to work with landowners to get the management back up again and we are now looking at 25 colonies in the same area . '' See also : Butterfly farmers help protect threatened forests . The conservation scheme works by first sourcing locations where there are remnants of heath fritillary colonies . Those who own the land identified during this process -- be they individuals , businesses or wildlife trusts -- are then approached for permission to carry out the conservation work . This primarily consists of clearing the areas pinpointed of their indigenous plant life and repopulating them with the lighter foliage the heath fritillary requires to prosper . If landowners agree to take part in the project , they are then able to sell on the discarded lumber that accumulates during the clearing and ensuing maintenance process at a profit . See also : Brazil tries to balance farming and forests . `` A lot of this is about persuasion , '' says Warren . `` You have to deal with loads of different people who all have their own agenda and financial constraints . '' `` When you go in there and say 'there is a rare butterfly on your land ' you can sometimes get a very bad response , '' he adds . Although Warren admits the profit margins remain relatively small at this stage and that the scheme itself relies on grants from the Forestry Commission to break even , he sees potential for much larger projects in the future . He says that there are currently numerous sites throughout the UK -- where nearly three quarters of butterfly species have seen their numbers decline in the last 10 years -- being scouted for their suitability by Butterfly Conservation . There are also scores of endangered butterfly species across Europe that could benefit from the implementation of similar cleared woodland schemes , he adds . See also : Can wooden skyscrapers transform concrete jungle ? `` There are a whole suite of them ( countries ) where woodlands are not being managed to the detriment of butterflies , '' says Warren . Yet despite his enthusiasm for the project , Warren cautions that there must be a balance struck between maintaining natural forest environments and manipulating their makeup through woodland clearing . `` We would n't advocate every woodland area be managed as there are many other species that depend on mature woodland to thrive , '' he says . If an equilibrium between profit , species conservation and respecting natural forest ecosystems can be achieved however , all kinds of diverse forest wildlife could benefit , he adds .
One of Britain 's most critically endangered butterflies is making a comeback . The British fritillary conservation scheme partners conservationists with private landowners . The scheme generates income and could be used to save other endangered butterflies , say Butterfly Conservation .