Countryside managers prepare for climate change

NPNL said uplands are especially vulnerable to climate change because of rising temperatures, altered rainfall patterns and more frequent extreme weather events. It added that protecting existing woodlands and restoring carbon‑rich peat soils would help safeguard upland ecosystems and also benefit downstream communities by improving water quality and reducing flooding.

Raby Estates, one of the area’s largest land managers, said it is working with NPNL on wildfire prevention measures, including managing farmers’ fuel loads and supplying firefighting equipment. Duncan Peake, chief executive at Raby Estates, said drone equipment to help spot fires was a "really significant, additional tool in our wildfire control kit". NPNL said it will also work with farmers who want skills and equipment for farm visits.

Peake said farmers on the estate were already taking groups of mostly young people "who wouldn't normally have an opportunity to come to the countryside" to help them understand how farming works. Woodley‑Stewart said: "You can't make people come to the countryside and invest in the local economy, but you can help to create circumstances in which they feel this landscape is for everybody." He said the five‑year plan would guide the policy of local authorities but would not be compulsory.

Woodley‑Stewart added: "There's no stick here, it's all carrot," and "Everyone has a role to play in its implementation."