Protected landscapes to be strengthened with new legislation and guidance to protect nature
National Parks and National Landscapes empowered바카라 사이트痶o deliver more for people and nature with new legislation pledged
- This marks the 75th anniversary of the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act, which created our National Parks and National Landscapes
- This move comes amid the 바카라 사이트바카라 사이트檚 push to promote access to nature, as part of the wider Plan for Change
New powers are to be granted to the country바카라 사이트檚 iconic National Parks and National Landscapes to boost nature바카라 사이트檚 recovery and access to the outdoors.
New legislation and guidance will give National Parks and National Landscapes a clear mandate to widen the public바카라 사이트檚 access to nature through strengthened purposes and make changes to improve their governance that will allow for greater innovation and collaboration to prepare them for the future.聽
The changes announced today will see more trees planted, more peat restored and more habitat created, supporting Protected Landscapes to play a leading role in meeting Net Zero, Environment Act targets and the commitment to protect 30% of land for nature by 2030 as part of our Plan for Change.
Covering a quarter of England바카라 사이트檚 land area, improving the state of nature in our National Parks and Landscapes is vital to the health of our ecosystems. Our Protected Landscapes are home to nationally important habitats and our most iconic species 바카라 사이트� yet many are in a poor condition with the wildlife that lives within their boundaries in steep decline and the waterways that give many of these landscapes their magic now sadly polluted.聽聽聽
The聽measures will include a general power of competence for National Park Authorities, which will clarify their legal framework, removing restrictions which prevent an entrepreneurial approach, and cutting through bureaucracy to remove barriers to achieving more for people and nature.
The package will also strengthen the role that public bodies, including water companies, must play in delivering better outcomes for nature, water, climate and access to nature in these special places, through new regulation that will support public bodies and Protected Landscape organisations to work more closely together.聽
Refining the purpose and powers of National Parks and National Landscapes will promote access to nature for the millions of people who visit these iconic landscapes each year, helping them to support a thriving rural economy and enable people to reap the benefits of spending time in greener and wilder places.聽
These changes will empower Protected Landscapes to deliver more for nature and tackle climate change over the next 75 years and beyond. This reflects their vital importance to the nation 바카라 사이트� from protecting us from flooding, to celebrating our heritage and restoring our health and wellbeing.聽
This comes amid celebrations of the 75th anniversary of the creation of our Protected Landscapes through the 1949 National Parks and Access the Countryside Act 바카라 사이트� a visionary piece of legislation that paved the way for our iconic National Landscapes, Parks and Trails.聽聽
Environment Secretary Steve Reed said:
바카라 사이트淚t바카라 사이트檚 seventy-five years since our National Parks and National Landscapes were created, and they have done incredible work protecting some of our most treasured and beautiful landscapes.
바카라 사이트淏ut so much of our countryside and wildlife is in decline so we must do more to protect it. To mark this anniversary the 바카라 사이트 will introduce new laws to boost protections for the natural world, strengthen our National Parks and National Landscapes and increase opportunities for millions of people to enjoy the great outdoors.바카라 사이트�
With less than 40% of rivers in National Parks in good ecological status, the government will also develop new regulations to ensure public bodies operating in these beautiful areas including water companies, deliver better environmental outcomes. As an immediate step, new guidance is being published today that will help public bodies work together to make these special places greener, wilder and more accessible.바카라 사이트犅�
Natural England Chair Tony Juniper said:聽聽
바카라 사이트淭he 1949 National Parks Act laid the foundations for modern nature conservation, enshrining in law the means to protect dozens of exceptional landscapes and thousands of our best wild places while bringing joy to millions of people across multiple generations.聽聽聽
바카라 사이트淒espite the achievements, however, these legal protections have not been sufficient to prevent Nature바카라 사이트檚 continuing decline. And whereas in decades past the challenge was about conservation, today we must not only hang on to what is left, but to also invest in Nature바카라 사이트檚 recovery.聽
바카라 사이트淭he reforms announced today are important steps that can help to turn the tide.바카라 사이트澛�
Our countryside and green spaces are a source of great national pride, and today바카라 사이트檚 announcement is a further example of this government바카라 사이트檚 commitment to delivering on nature, increasing access, planting three new National Forests, creating nine new National River Walks and empowering communities to create new parks and green spaces in their communities with a new Community Right to Buy. 聽
This 바카라 사이트 is committed to restoring nature across the country, which is why we have wasted no time in announcing a rapid review of the Environmental Improvement Plan, which thriving Protected Landscapes will be essential to delivering. This will set out pathways to clean up our waterways, reduce waste across the economy, plant millions more trees, improve air quality and halt the decline in species by 2030.聽聽A healthy natural environment is crucial to the nation바카라 사이트檚 health and prosperity, which is why nature recovery is an integral part of the 바카라 사이트s Plan for Change to create a decade of national renewal.
ENDS
Notes to editors:聽聽
-
Protected Landscapes 바카라 사이트� the collective term for National Parks and National Landscapes 바카라 사이트� range from lowland landscapes, such as the Cotswolds and the Norfolk Coast, to uplands such as the North Pennines and the Lake District.聽聽
-
Protected Landscapes contain half of England바카라 사이트檚 priority habits and Sites of Special Scientific Interest, 60% of deep peat and around 88% of heather and acid grassland habitats. Restoring our Protected Landscapes will be essential to protecting 30% of the UK바카라 사이트檚 land and sea by 2030.
-
Further information on the Protected Landscapes Duty can be found here: The Protected Landscapes duty - 바카라 사이트