Overview

Lestari supported the data analysis and mapping which informed the production of Campaign for National Parks ‘Health Check Report’. Specifically, we undertook spatial analysis using GIS focused on water body condition (lakes and rivers), peat depth and condition, protected area (SSSI and SAC) condition, and landuse analysis for all national parks in England and Wales. 

The report’s introduction states: 

“From the peaks of the Lake District and the ancient rainforests of Eryri to the wild moorlands of Dartmoor and the waterways of the Broads, National Parks have so much to offer both people and wildlife. These places remain as important to the nation today as they were when they were first conceived 75 years ago; their founding vision – places where every citizen could immerse themselves in the wonders of nature – remains as relevant today. While it is clear that nature in National Parks faces many challenges, just as it does across the UK, these landscapes contain many of the last fragments of priority habitat and the last refuges for many species on the brink of extinction. There can be little doubt the situation would be even worse if these areas had not been designated in law and benefitted from additional planning protections and the oversight of a dedicated National Park Authority (NPA). This report sets out the first full assessment of how well the National Parks of England and Wales are supporting nature recovery. It provides evidence of the current situation and identifies the changes needed to policy, legislation and practice in order to secure the step-change in progress that is so urgently needed. Our research included analysis of all the existing and publicly available data, a review of the National Park Management Plans and discussions with NPA officers. It covered both England and Wales. This means we have been able to compare the situation in the two countries and to identify opportunities for sharing good practice between them as well as between the individual National Parks.”

The full report can be accessed here.