National Parks England have published a set of new joint ambitions, which outlines their vision to become beacons for a sustainable future, where nature and people flourish.
For the first time, England’s 10 National Parks – including the Yorkshire Dales National Park – have worked together to create four interconnected Delivery Plans, which address how we will tackle new challenges and changing priorities over the next 10 years.
The Covid-19 pandemic, Government announcements of new National Parks and Green Industrial revolution, and the climate emergency, have all highlighted the important role National Parks have for our nation.
The Delivery Plans set out how we will protect and enhance the natural environment, how we will become leaders in tackling the climate emergency, how we will support thriving communities where sustainable farming and land management deliver a wide range of public goods, and sets out our vision to support the health and wellbeing of the whole nation.
Each of the Plans has a key theme, and each plan defines key targets and how these will be achieved. You can view and download the individual plans below.
Landscapes for Everyone
Sustainable Farming & Land Management
Climate Leadership
Nature Recovery
National Parks England Chair, Mike McKinley said: “We are proud to launch our new Delivery Plans, which clearly set out our ambitions and plans for the next 10 years.
“National Parks hold a unique place in the nation’s affections, and Covid 19 and the increase in visitor numbers to our National Parks during the pandemic has reminded us of their importance. Wild landscapes, family walks, rural businesses and vibrant communities all have their place, and we need to work hard to protect and enhance these spaces.
“While we welcome the Government’s recent ten-point plan, and announcement of the creation of new National Parks, this must not be at the expense of investing in our existing Parks.
“We need to ensure that we are equipped with the tools and resources to make a substantive green shift. Our Delivery Plans are rightly ambitious and set out how we will achieve our aims through stronger legislation, investment, and political leadership: we look to Government to support our vision.”
Interesting reading indeed.
It’s also interesting that the desire to maintain local farming and communities is embedded in these future plans apart from in the Nature Recovery section where surprisingly there is not the same encouraging signals being sent out that farming and it’s traditional methods and practices will consulted around their knowledge and actual experience of how re wilding and capturing water etc will affect the appearance of and not just the environmental effects on the land. I hope that it is not just an excuse to re wild vast swathes turning them in to difficult to walk through and very unattractive landscapes, introduce species in to the area which will not co habit successfully with traditional and important local heritage breeds which are integral not only to the farmers income but hugely important to the social lives of the communities.
One hopes that the writers of this section are all non biased against farming, have no hidden agenda linked to veganism or perceived poor animal welfare and are not just in it to achieve personal goals rather than the desired all round good for all goals.