The money set aside for nature restoration is being used to fund wage agreements in Scotland’s local authorities.

BBC Scotland News has learned that ministers have written to councils asking them to remove current year allocations from the Nature Restoration Fund to settle pay agreements.

The fund is worth £29.2 million, although the money is split between councils and the Scottish Government’s nature agency Nature Scot.

The Scottish Government has been asked for comment.

The money will be used to fund local projects that address the nature crisis, ranging from planting trees to restoring waterways.

It is estimated that one in nine species in Scotland is at risk of extinction due to long-term habitat loss. Ministers have said restoring biodiversity is “critical” to tackling the climate crisis.

Last week, Finance Minister Shona Robison said spending cuts were “unavoidable” due to the “spending challenges” facing the economy.

Anne McCall, chief executive of RSPB Scotland, said: “This is extremely bad news.

“Recently published analyses have shown that funding for nature needs to be increased, not reduced. Scotland is one of the most nature-stressed countries in the world, ranking 28th out of the bottom 240, and this trend is set to continue.

“The Nature Restoration Fund has been vital in delivering projects across rural and urban Scotland, creating jobs and delivering benefits for people, the economy, biodiversity and nature.”

She added: “The short-term and long-term consequences of this action will be felt now and in the future.”

She said repeated research has shown that Scottish people want nature restoration to play a more prominent role in government decision-making.

“But they are once again being underestimated and having to settle for choices where nature restoration is low on the priority list,” she said.