Team Blitz India
New Delhi: England will get a new national park as part of the Government drive to improve public access to the natural world and recover nature. “Helping more people get access to our natural heritage and putting nature at the forefront of government efforts to tackle climate change are at the heart of a new package announced by the Environment Secretary (November29),” according to an official press release. The search for a new National Park – a manifesto commitment– will begin in the new year.
“The new package of measures includes launching a search for a new National Park, 34 new landscape recovery projects, new forests and funding to help more children get outdoors and into the great British countryside, in what is the latest step by the government in its drive to improve public access to the natural world and recover nature,” it said.
“The series of nature pledges comes ahead of COP28 later this week, where the Prime Minister will continue our leadership set out at COP26 to champion the role of nature in tackling climate change, “the release said.
Funding worth £15m was also announced for a range of protected landscapes which will be shared by England’s 10 existing national parks and 34 National Landscapes, formerly known as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Kevin Bishop, chief executive of Dartmoor National Park, welcomed the news but with some reservations.
“A new national park is good news for Britain. It’s brilliant for our economy, brilliant for our environment,” he said and added, “I suppose the key thing for existing national parks is that the money for the new national park needs to be on top of what the existing national parks receive.”
Some environmentalists gave the news a cautious welcome, as government funding for national parks has fallen in real terms, forcing service and staff cuts.
