Nature report, 41% of UK species have
dwindled since 1970 and the Farmland Bird
Index has declined by 57%. In national parks
and AONBs, biodiversity indicators have
continued to decline since 2010: in 2020,
39% of protected areas in England were
considered to be in favourable condition
compared to 42% in 2010, and Wales
experienced an even more dramatic drop
(Scotland has seen a 2% decline since 2007
but has the largest percentage of protected
land – 18% – and the highest percentage of
that land in favourable condition).
It’s an area in which many campaigners
feel that national parks should haveled the
way – and have failed. “England’s national
parks havenot risen to the challenge of the
climate and nature crisis,” says Friends of
the Earth trees campaigner, Danny Gross.
Why? According to the Glover review,
it’s a case of national apathy. “The national
zeal of the founding mission for landscape
protection has been eroded,”says the
report. “There is no common ambition and
a culture which has neither kept pace with
changes in our society nor responded with
vigour to the decline in the diversity of the
natural environment.”
The RSPB has gone further, arguing that
“there has been neither the political will nor
the resources” to address problems with
the conditions of national parks and other
protected areas. RSPB Director Emma
Marsh has also criticised the appointments
to national park boards. Pointing out that
nature was only on the agenda at 3% of
National Park Authority meetings, she said
that the governmenthad “failed to address
the severe shortage of nature champions
on many of these boards”.
Is rewilding the answer?
It’s clear that action is needed to restore
declining biodiversity across Britain’s
protected areas and fight the escalating
climate crisis – and rewilding is one way
of doing that. According to Rewilding
Britain, a tenth of current UK greenhouse
gas emissions could be sequestered by
restoring and protecting six million hectares
of native woodland, peat bogs, heaths and
species-rich grassland. Empirical evidence
from the country’s numerous rewilding
projects suggests that it can also reverse
biodiversity loss, and support nature-based
economic enterprises.
Rewilding Britain also claims that the
government can create rewilding areas
across 10% of national parks regardless
of action by private landowners, with
peatlands, moorland, woods, rivers and
seas restored with ‘no loss of productive
farmland’.
“Public bodies and water companies own13% of national park land in Britain,”says
Guy. “This is a way for the government not
just to talk about wilder national parks but
also to show the public sector is meeting
the challenges of the 21st century and
following the lead that’s being set by many
pioneering third sector private landowners.
They are already rewilding within national
parks [examples include Wild Haweswater
and Wild Ennerdale in the LakeDistrict,
Ingleborough National Nature Reserve in
the Yorkshire Dales, and Glen Affric in the
Scottish Highlands] but they want to see the
public sector upping their game.”
The suggestion has been greeted with
caution by National Parks UK.
“Our national parks already provide
a place for nature’srecovery and we’ve
recently set out our roadmap for how they
could be even better places for wildlife
with our Wildlife Delivery Plan,”said
Sarah Fowler, the Peak District National
Park Authority’s CEO and a coordinator“Wilder national
parks could lead the
way for a healthier,
more nature-
rich Britain, with
opportunities for
communities and
local economies.”
Guy Shrubsole,
Rewilding BritainPhotos: [above left] Mark Hamblin [above] Scotland: The Big PictureA red squirrel in the
Scottish Highlands20 The Great OutdoorsAugust 2021