Mumbling on : Land Management and Conservation in UK National Parks.

During my Master's degree, I took part in a trip to Snowdonia National Park in Wales, to learn about and experience land management practices and conservation work within this well known location. 

Agriculture and forestry are the 2 dominant industries within Snowdonia and are potentially the most likely to conflict with other land management and conservation efforts. There are departments set up within  National Resources Wales to oversee forestry business within the park which is very important to the local economy. The forestry sector looks to conserve, enhance and improve native broad-leaved woodlands by providing advice, grant aid and assistance. Work is carried out in liaison with the Forestry Commission and the forestry industries within the park on their felling and restocking programmes as well as the enhancement of the forest landscapes. From what we saw, this is a very regulated and structured industry that has little effect on the overall environmental objectives for Snowdonia National Park. The forestry industry here prides itself on its sustainability and has a good track record of effective restocking but also creating natural broad-leaved woodlands to become reserves for the benefit of biodiversity in the area.

Visiting the forestry sector in the park.
Forestry and agriculture are the two dominant industries in Snowdonia National Park.

Agriculture has been the biggest factor in shaping the landscape within Snowdonia National Park. Many areas are lacking in foliage due to intensive grazing and free roaming animals that graze throughout the park without boundaries, from the lowest areas up to the peaks. This practice is considered cultural heritage and this land has been farmed for hundreds of years with many of the current farmers being descendants of the first that started farming here. The landscape is damaged, quite noticeably, predominantly due to the farming practices that have been going on here for so long. When discussing the ideal number of sheep per square meters of land, conservation experts have been quoted, suggesting that the only way this habitat can ever recover and prosper, is through the removal of all the grazing livestock entirely. However this is very unlikely to ever occur, which means that there must be compromises to allow conservation efforts to continue alongside agricultural work.

As beautiful the scenery is, this landscape should ideally be covered in foliage,
instead it is barren and void of trees, largely due to grazing animals such as sheep.

There have been numerous initiatives in Snowdonia to help with this issue and balance the needs of local farms with environmental and conservation objectives. At the time of my visit, Tir Gofal, which translates to "Land Care", was the agri-environmental scheme which many farmers were switching over to. This scheme was jointly funded by the UK Government and the EU and would offer the farmers payment for careful management of their land. Farmers are encouraged to manage their land in a more environmentally friendly way and this is done by offering financial incentives to protect wildlife and existing habitats. Grants are also given to help with the creation of new habitats as well as to encourage better public access and protect the landscape including historical and archaeological features. One of the farmers I met was getting financial help through Tir Gofal and this saw him managing and improving a stream that ran through his land which sat in a large valley. The management of this waterway had brought back otters to the area, thus fulfilling his requirement to help wildlife as part of the scheme.

Agri-environment schemes are definitely the way forward. As well as giving local and family run farms much needed financial aid, they help to provide a balance, allowing agricultural practices to proceed whilst protecting the natural environment, habitats and wildlife.

The overgrazing culprit!

It will be interesting to monitor the progress of conservation work within Snowdonia National Park considering the huge obstacles they face in returning habitats to more natural states. The park authorities have come up with many new and innovative projects such as catchment sensitive farming, peatland restoration and hedgerow implementation, to help improve the environment of the area, conserve biodiversity and protect the park for the future. 

Overall, it was a great experience seeing conservation and land management in action in Snowdonia National Park. It is a beautiful location that makes for numerous enjoyable walks and days out as well as having lots of interesting history and culture.

More information can be found at : http://www.eryri-npa.gov.uk/home