National Parks

By Rachael Dean

What are they?

“A National Park is a reserve of land, usually owned by a national government, which is protected from most human development.”

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an international organisation dedicated to natural resource conservation and National Parks come under category 2 of IUCN standards.

What is Category II?This category states that a National Park is a natural area of land and/or sea, designated to:1. Protect the ecological integrity of one

or more ecosystems for future generations2. Exclude exploitation or occupation inimical to the purposes of designation of the area3. Provide a foundation for spiritual, scientific, educational, recreational, and visitor opportunities, all of which must be environmentally and culturally compatible

Some countries also designate Some countries also designate sites of special cultural, sites of special cultural, scientific or historical scientific or historical importance as national parks, importance as national parks, or as special entities within or as special entities within their national park systems. their national park systems. Other countries use a different Other countries use a different scheme for historical site scheme for historical site preservation. Some of these preservation. Some of these sites are awarded the title sites are awarded the title World Heritage Site by the World Heritage Site by the UNESCO.UNESCO.

In the beginning…It was the English poet William Wordsworth in 1810 who described the Lake District as…““a sort of national property in which every man a sort of national property in which every man

has a right and interest who has an eye to has a right and interest who has an eye to perceive and a heart to enjoy”perceive and a heart to enjoy”

However, is was the Scottish-American naturalist John Muir who proved inspirational in the foundation of national parks, anticipating many ideas of conservationism, environmentalism, and the animal rights movement.

Where are they?

National parks are usually located in places which have been largely undeveloped, and often feature areas with exceptional native animals, plants and ecosystems (particularly endangered examples of such), biodiversity, or unusual geological features. Occasionally, national parks are declared in developed areas with the goal of returning the area to resemble its original state as closely as possible.

Main AimsMost National Parks have a dual role as offering a refuge for wildlife as well as being popular tourist destinations.

However…managing the conflict between these two roles can become problematic...

Problems

Parks can be reserves for substantial natural resources, such as timber and minerals. The balance of the demand for extraction of these resources, against the damage this might cause, is often a very important challenge in national park management. Some National parks have been subject to illegal logging and other exploitation, sometimes because of political corruption. This threatens the integrity of many valuable habitats.

Case Study:

The Lake District

The Lake District National Park is one of twelve National Parks in the United Kingdom. As you can see from the map, The Lake District is situated in North-West England.

In more detail…The Lake District lies entirely within Cumbria and is one of England’s few mountainous regions as well as including 15 lakes, which is why it attracts a large number of visitors

HistoryHistoryThe Lakes, as the

region is also known, were made famous during the early 19th Century by the poetry and writings of William

Wordsworth and the Lake Poets.

The park covers

230,000 ha of land and is

dominated by formations left by the last Ice

Age.

LandscapesLandscapesThe Lake District hosts a very wide variety of landscapes including…

IndustryHistorically, farming, particularly sheep farming was the major industry in this region. Another major lakeland

industry was the mining of copper, lead, barite, graphite and slate from the 16th to the 19th century.

However, tourism has now grown rapidly and become the area’s primary source of income.

Tourist InformationFacts & FiguresThe Lake District National Park was created by the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 and came into being on 15 August 1951

The Lake District National Park attracts over 12 million visitors

every year.

There are over 200 people who work for the Lake District National Park Authority including rangers, advisors in visitor centres, forestry & estate teams, ecologists, archaeologists, admin staff and volunteers.

Britain’s National Parks are funded directly from government grants via DEFRA and don’t receive funding from council tax or other local taxes.

Costs

The Lake District National Park Authority’s overall spending for

2006/2007 is £7.4 million - £176 for every person living in the region or 62

pence for every visitor.£6.3 million of this comes from a grant

from DEFRA and about a third of income comes from trading activities like car parking, planning application fees and

sales at information centres.

Purposes of the Authority

The Lake District National Park Authority was established in 1951.

As set out in the Environment Act 1995, it’s statutory purposes are…

1. To conserve and enhance the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage of the Park

2. To promote opportunities for the understanding and enjoyment of the special qualities of the Park by the public3. To seek to foster the economic and social well being of local communities within the park by working closely with the agencies and local authorities.

The Legal BitSection 62 of the Environment Act

1995 makes it clear that if National park purposes are in conflict the conservation must

have priorityThis is known as the…

The Sandford Principle

This principle stems from the Sandford’s Committee’s recommendation, in 1974 that…

“Enjoyment of national Parks shall be in a manner and by such means as will leave their natural beauty

unimpaired for the enjoyment of this and future generations”

AttractionsAs spring approaches the lake District comes alive with a variety of flowering plants including…

For the children or young at heart there’s a large adventure playground at Brockhole visitor centre

There’s also an eco centre where visitor s are encourages to help the environment.

Coniston Boating Centre also proves to be a popular visitor attraction with regular lake cruises and other water sports on offer.

FacilitiesThere are plenty of parking facilities available around the park where you can leave your car too explore the Park on foot, by bike or even by boat.

The park is also accessible to all and there are over 20 “Miles Without Stiles” routes for easy pushchair and wheelchair access.

Information centres are also a good source to help you get around and enjoy your stay as much as possible.

Pressures…With over 12 million visitors attracted to the area every year, there are obviously going to be certain pressures.

People are the biggest threat to areas like the Lake District as they can…

DROP LITTER

ERODE FOOTPATHS

TRAMPLE ON PLANTS

SCARE THE ANIMALS

ETC, ETC…

ManagementIf these problems weren’t controlled, the area would lose it’s natural beauty, so this is where the work of the Lake District National Park Authority comes in.

They have to follow what is known at the National Park Management Plan

which is a national strategy used in all UK national Parks and include rules and regulations on everything to do

with the park from the Historic environment to traffic and transport.

Tree Preservation

The Authority protects important trees through tree preservation orders

which make it an offence to cut down, top, lop, uproot

or wilfully damage or destroy any tree without

permission.

Sustainable DevelopmentSustainable development is based on the idea that the quality of people’s lives and the state of our communities is affected by a combination of economic, social and environmental factors.The sustainable development fund is a grant scheme from DEFRA which helps towards any ideas that increase the understanding and enjoyment of the Lake District.

How to help…Visitors can help the sustainable development fund by simply…

•Buying local produce and make use of local services and shops•Car share to work •Use water sparingly•Choose products with less packaging, therefore creating less waste •Re-use paper and plastic carrier bags where possible •Use low-energy light bulbs which last longer •Use recycled products wherever possible •Use natural alternatives to artificial chemicals on your garden, and don't use pesticides

RangersThe Ranger team provides a countryside management service for the community by…•Contact with residents, visitors, interest groups, parish and district councils and other organisations •Links between the community and other specialists in the LDNPA •Rights of Way monitoring, management and protection •Implementation of conservation projects •Practical land management •Lake monitoring byelaw enforcement and management •Visitor and recreation management •Work with the Lake District Volunteers Service

Fact & Figure Summary

The Lake District is England's largest

National Park covering 885 square

miles.

The Lake’s highest peak is

Scafell pike at 978m (a.s.l.)

The lake’s deepest lake is

Wastwater at 74m.

89% of visitors to the Lakes arrive by

car

There are a total of 22,930

dwelling within the

Lake District

There are over 6000 known archaeological sites and monuments

dating from prehistory to World War II.

There are 1740 listed buildings and structures and21 Conservation Areas covering historic towns and villages