60th Anniversary Celebrations

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"Diamonds in the Landscape"
 
2009 sees the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949. This act led to the creation of Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) and National Parks and also gave powers to strengthen a Public Rights of Way framework including the creation of long distance routes.
 
The first National Parks
During the 1800's the idea of creating protected areas of land developed and in 1810, the English poet William Wordsworth described the Lake District as a "sort of national property in which every man has a right and interest who has an eye to perceive and a heart to enjoy".
 
The first effort by any government to set aside such protected areas was in the United States on April 20 1832,  when President Andrew Jackson signed legislation to set aside four sections of land around what is now Hot Springs Arkansas, in order to protect the natural, thermal springs and adjoining mountainsides for the future disposal of the US government.
 
In 1872, Yellowstone National Park was established as arguably the world's first truly national park.  Following the idea established in Yellowstone, parks soon followed in other nations. In Australia, the Royal National Park was established just south of Sydney in 1879. Rocky Mountain National Park became Canada's first national park in 1885 and New Zealand had its first national park in 1887.
 
Fresh Air
In Britain during the early 1900's there was an increasing level of concern that the lives of working people in industrial cities should be improved by providing more fruitful use of leisure time and access to the countryside for clean, fresh air.  By the 1930s more and more people were seeking an escape from the dirt and noise of Britain's towns and cities and this caused growing conflict with landowners. 
 
Mass Trespass
Frustrated by the lack of progress by the official ramblers' federation towards the Right to Roam, a group of walkers made a public mass trespass in April 1932 on Kinder Scout (the highest point in the Peak District) to exercise what they felt their right should be - to walk unhindered on open moorland.  The trespassers came face to face with the gamekeepers employed by local landowners and scuffles broke out.  Six ramblers were imprisoned which led to a huge wave of public sympathy and the pressure for greater access continued to grow.
 
Access for All
On the 16th December 1949 the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act was passed providing the framework for the creation of Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) and National Parks. These areas were designated to preserve and enhance natural beauty and create recreational opportunities for the public.
 
Since the Act was passed 49 AONBs and 15 National Parks have been designated in the UK.  The first protected landscape, The Peak District National Park, was designated in 1951. The first AONB was Gower in 1958 and Nidderdale AONB was designated on the 14th February 1994. Most recently, in March 2009, the South Downs has been designated as the 15th National Park in the UK. 
 
These protected areas contain the country's finest landscapes and countryside and are home to some of our most exquisite and unusual wildlife species.  They are diverse in character - areas of lowland heath; upland mountains; gently rolling hills; coastal plain and shingle beaches; - but each contains unique and fascinating landscape features. 
 
The 60th Anniversary provides the opportunity to celebrate these protected landscapes and recognise them as "Diamonds in the Landscape". As well as giving us the opportunity to look back at what has been achieved over the last 60 years it also gives us the chance to look to the future and find ways to protect these landscapes for future generations. After all "Diamonds are Forever" if they are properly cared for!
 
For more information on the 60th anniversary please visit www.diamondsinthelandscape.org.uk