Background

National Parks were created in 1949. The first to open was the Peak District in 1951. The body responsible for the administration and planning is the National Parks Authority (NPA). Aim is to conserve and enhance the natural and built environment, to provide access to recreation, and to support and protect the economic and social well-being of local communities. National Parks now receive 100 million visitors a year.

	Peak District	Dartmoor
Location	Surrounded by major cities such as Manchester and Liverpool to the west, York and Sheffield to the east and Leicester and Birmingham to the south. 17 million people live within 60 miles of the park	Covers area of 954km2 in the heart of Devon. Exeter lies to the east and Plymouth to the South west. Designated in 1951.
How used	2700 farms in the area. 38 000 people live and work within the PDNP. The Peak Park Authority manages 480ha of woodland. There are 55 reservoirs. It is the world's most visited National Park after Mt Fuji in Japan. Tourism here directly provides 500 full-time, 350 part-time and 100 seasonal jobs as well as mainly others indirectly.	Public have access to 47.5% of the park. M.O.D control 13,340 ha. Farming employs 2,500 people. There are 8 reservoirs in the park. The NPA is opposed to further development. Mineral extraction of china clay through open cast mining. Some 40% of visitors come from the surrounding area. 90% of visitors arrive by car. Visitor numbers have increased from 8 to 11 million between 1980 and 2000. The park has become more popular for active recreational activities such as cycling, hiking and horse riding. Peak season is July and August.
Problems created by recreation and tourism	In places such as Bakewell in Derbyshire, congestion is a problem as the roads cannot cope with the increase in traffic. 95% of people arrive by car. In 1963 7 million people visited PDNP. In 1995 it was 22.5 million. 4x4 vehicles (number doubled since 1990) and mountain bikers cause severe soil erosion and gullying. Of the 3000 km of footpath, 10% is unusable. Maintenance costs have gone up by 200% since 1990. Popular destinations within the PDNP include; Bakewell, Chatsworth and Dovedale.	Recreational pursuits put increasing pressure on the environment. Riverbanks and footpaths have been eroded and some stones at archaeological sites have been disturbed. Fires are a problem in the summer as gorse becomes tinder dry. Ignition caused by cigarettes and BBQ's. Car parking on the roadside and gorse riding also contributes to erosion. Large number of accidents involving cars and livestock.
Management strategies	Responsibility for SSSI's within PDNP is down to English Nature. The Countryside Stewardship Scheme set up in 1996 encourages farmers, through grants, to enhance their land (accommodate tourists etc). Possible ideas floated: Park & Ride, Entrance charge, railway. PDNP concentrates on improving neglected features, managing developments (new buildings, recreational facilities).	In 1996, a 40mph speed limit introduced on most moorland roads mainly to reduce the accidents between cars and livestock. Sunday bus service has been improved to try to discourage people from driving onto the moor. Cycling is confined to bridleways and roads to reduce erosion rates. At Haytor, low grazed banks have been constructed on the roadside to stop people parking on the roadside. Also eroded paths have been reseeded and signposts erected to guide people to a new route. Camping on the roadside is prohibited. The park has introduced a zoning policy. Visitor facilities have been built to try to concentrate visitors at sites able to sustain high visitor numbers.

D.Drake 2009

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