27 Aug 2008
Consultation on New Forest future
BY Pete Hayman
New Forest National Park Authority (NFNPA) is to carry out a public consultation on two draft documents outlining its 20-year vision for the park. The National Park Plan and the Recreation Management Strategy are the result of a development and consultation process between the Authority and 70 organisations, including the Forestry Commission, Environment Agency and New Forest District Council, as well as a series of workshops. The National Park Plan will be the first time NFNPA has developed a National Park Management Plan, and the first time such a plan has been combined with key planning policies known as the Core Strategy in one document. NFNPA chair, Clive Chatters, said: "The Park Plan is the blueprint for the New Forest over the next 20 years. It looks at the big picture and the big issues that the Forest faces. It provides a detailed guide for all of those who are working to care for the new Forest national park, not just the Authority itself." Supporting the National Park Plan will be the Recreation Management Strategy, focus on how people can enjoy and care for the New Forest, going into more detail on the recreational pursuits available in the Forest. "We have the highest level of nature conservation interest of any park in England, so it is inevitable that managing recreation effectively will be a high priority in the New Forest," said Chatters. Photo: Martin O'Neill, New Forest National Park Authority
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