Thank you to everyone campaigning for National Parks - from our Chief Executive Dr Rose O'Neill
As we end the year, I want to say a huge thank you to all our supporters, volunteers and campaigners. Last Friday, 16th December, was the 73rd Anniversary of the 1949 National Parks and Countryside Act. The Act was hailed as a ‘People’s Charter’ – and the spirit of the movement is so relevant today, in a year that is especially marked by people coming together to stand up for our National Parks.
Thank you to everyone who has supported this campaigning collective – people from across the UK, multiple generations, and 50 organisations. Together we have defended National Parks against the #AttackonNature in Westminster (you can read more on why this defense continues in a blog by Friends of the Dales Chair Bruce McLeod).
We have called on the Prime Minister to leave a better legacy for Protected Landscapes. And we’ve had some great campaign success, not least with development of a new National Park for North-East Wales. You can read more in our annual report here.
We hope you all have a well-earned rest this festive season and we look forward to continuing our campaigns in the New Year.
Calling on the Prime Minister to leave a lasting legacy for nature in England
To coincide with the COP15 summit on biodiversity, we've written anurgent letter to the Prime Minister, co-signed by 46 other organisations, calling on the Westminster Government to bring about legislative changes for greater nature protection in National Parks and AONBs.
The Government missed a major opportunity to accept these much needed reforms last week, so we're now taking our campaign to the House of Lords – you can find out more here.
This comes after new analysis shows that only a quarter of Sites of Specific Scientific Interest (SSSIs) in National Parks in England are in ‘favourable condition’, compared to a national average of 38%. As the letter to the Prime Minister makes clear, without new legislation the country will fail to meet its international nature goals.
Landscape Photographer of the Year 2022 shares his winning image
The beauty of National Parks has inspired generations of artists. This year, the natural beauty of the Brecon Beacons National Park inspired photographer Will Davies, as for his winning image ‘Brecon in Winter’, Will was awarded Landscape Photographer of the Year 2022. You can read our interview with him on our website to find out more.
The Covid pandemic illustrated just how important National Parks are for people’s health, wellbeing and quality of life. They are enjoyed by millions and yet many areas of the parks are inaccessible to the public.
Our recent highlighting of public access in National Parks received widespread media coverage, including in The Guardian. We're calling on the Government to provide new powers and resources so that people from all walks of life, irrespective of their background, can explore more of these amazing places.
We're also backing Dartmoor National Park Authority's campaign against efforts to ban wild camping in the park and have spoken out in the media to publicise the case, which is currently in the high court.
Responding to plans for a visitor levy in Wales
We’ve recently responded to Welsh Government proposals to allow local authorities to introduce a visitor levy to ensure that overnight visitors contribute towards the cost of the public services they use. Such levies are common in some other European countries, but this would be the first one in the UK.
Our response, submitted jointly with the Alliance for Welsh Designated Landscapes, acknowledges the potential to raise much needed new revenue for National Parks, but emphasises that the majority of their funding should continue to come from the public purse. The response also sets out how such a levy could be introduced in a way which benefits Protected Landscapes and is fair to all visitors. You can read the full response here.
Protecting National Parks in the face of damaging development
If National Parks are to contribute effectively to nature and climate recovery, all organisations need to play their part. But it is currently too easy for organisations such as highway authorities and water companies to pursue proposals which damage the Parks. The duty on them ‘to have regard’ to National Park purposes is just too weak. That’s why we’re calling for a new duty ‘to further’ the purposes, which would require relevant organisations to demonstrate how their decisions improve the Parks.
To find out how this could help prevent some of the roadbuilding proposals which currently threaten the Parks, and what you can do to help us secure this change, read this blog by our Policy & Research Manager Ruth Bradshaw.
Working Class Nature Prize Winner writes for National Parks
The stories we tell about National Parks, and whose voices are heard, matters. That’s why we were proud to sponsor the Working Class Nature Prize, created by Natasha Carthew, which aims to break the stereotype of what it means to be a nature writer. You can hear Natasha and our Chief Executive Rose talk about the prize at Communicate 2022 last month.
You helped us beat our target but there's still time to donate
Thank you to all of our supporters who donated and supported The Big Give Christmas Challenge ‘Love Our National Parks’ appeal. Thanks to you, we raised £5,723 and reached our target in just 25 hours!
With your support, we can continue to lead the charge to keep these precious landscapes safe for us to enjoy now and for future generations. Campaign for National Parks is the only independent voice for National Parks. We bring together a network of organisations who share our passion for nature, and together we influence change and continue to push back against the pressures put upon our National Parks.
Every donation makes a difference, going directly towards campaigning efforts. This is why we’re continuing to fundraise this Christmas for the ‘Love Our National Parks’ appeal. Please donate what you can securely on our website by clicking the button below.
New animation highlights importance of Welsh language in the cultural heritage of Eryri
Last month, the Snowdonia/Eryri National Park Authority announced its decision to use Welsh names for Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) and Eryri (Snowdonia). We loved this animation by Grindle Toons with Owen Williams so much we wanted to share it with the wider audience.
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