The Great Outdoors - UK (2021-08)

the natural beauty of national parks and
promoting their enjoyment by the public.”
“The system of national parks was
predicated on the basis that the national
park authorities would control planning
development and thatwas really the only
power they had,”says Mark. “It was also
predicated on the fact that the land would
be used land – farmland. The assumption
was that there was no need to haveanything
better than that because we didn’t have the
wildlife the merited it. My argument is that’s
incredibly defeatist.”

New urgency
The idea that fresh legislation is needed
to redefine the remit of national parks has
been around for decades. It was suggested
in the 1991 Fit for the Future report, which
also made proposals for wilder areas in
national parks.
In recent years the argument has
acquired a new urgency. We’re currently
facing an escalating climate and ecological
crisis. According to the 2019 State of Ph

oto

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ose

The effects of heather burning

on grouse moorland in the

Peak District national park

Looking over Langdale in the

Lake District – a national park

with fewer trees than Sheffield

August 2021 The Great Outdoors 19