National Parks: Conservation or Cosmetics?

The national parks of England and Wales are a vital part of the environmental resources of Britain. Originally published in 1982 and drawing on considerable practical and research experience, the authors present a cogent, authoritative and radical challenge to the established thinking about these cherished parts of the landscape. The first part of the book provides an historical account of the parks and an analysis of the failure of the system prior to reorganization in 1974. The second describes the physical, economic and social background, and establishes the inextricable links in the relationship between man and nature which form the fabric of the living landscape. Part 3 deals with the national park system in theory and practice, establishing the limits of ‘management’ through case studies and by drawing on the authors’ first-hand experience of the conflict over moorland reclamation in Exmoor. Part 4 examines the impact of government policies for agriculture, forestry, mineral extraction and military training and concludes that they are incompatible with the conservation of human and natural resources. Part 5 draws conclusions and applies the lessons of the national parks to other areas, including Scotland. It argues that conservation of human and recreational purposes can only be achieved if they are integrated with compatible economic and social policies for rural areas. It also highlights the need for the principles of conservation to pervade all government policies affecting the countryside and calls for radical changes in policy and resource allocation, and for intervention in the land market.