The Partnership's Plan - Lake District National Park

We will monitor the area of land within the Higher Level Scheme, Entry Level Scheme and Organic
Entry Level Scheme, looking particularly at changes in environmentally sensitive farming and land
management, the farming economy and the structure of farming.
Natural England has completed research into ecosystem services provided by land managers in the
Lake District, showing how they are linked to future arguments about the economic benefits to the
nation/region. For example, costing the value to the nation of the storage of carbon, the provision of
clean drinking water and the value of access, recreation space and biodiversity. These issues have
also been highlighted in the recent Commission for Rural Communities Uplands Inquiry Report
(June 2010).
Recent successes include:
• Environmental Land Management Service Pilot: a joint venture between the National Park
Authority, Natural England and the National Trust. We have agreed Conservation Plans with
farmers, leading to an additional £2.5m of grant funding to Lake District farms for environmental
capital works. The SCAMP project and National Trust’s Whole Farm Planning scheme also
provide support to farmers.
• Rural Development Programme for England: Cumbria Fells and Dales Local Action Group
aims to draw down £8.1million up to 2013 to strengthen the upland economy, focussing in
particular on improving the profitably of the farming and forestry sector and expansion of micro
enterprises.
• Cumbria Rural Enterprise Agency: Cumbria Farm Link. CFL advisers provide support to the
England catchment sensitive farming delivery initiative by visiting farms in the priority catchment
areas, highlighting issues and opportunities and delivery at farm demonstration events.
• The Sustainable Catchment Programme: a United Utilities /RSPB partnership which is
delivering landscape-scale change across 15,000 hectares of water catchments (Haweswater
and Thirlmere) .
• The Lake District Osprey Project: a partnership between the Forestry Commission, the Lake
District National Park Authority and the RSPB. The project attracts 100,000 visitors a year and
has £2 million benefit to the local economy.
• Wood fuel - Cumbria Woodlands: a project which has delivered advice and support to over 30
farmers and woodland owners on the economic opportunities of woodfuel and advice and
technical support to over 80 individuals, businesses and organisations on the opportunities of
woodfuel energy. Cumbria now has 12 commercial wood-chip systems.
3.1.3 Opportunities
The strong link between farming, food production and tourism provide a value chain for farmers. Yet
the opportunity need not be confined to markets in and around the Lake District, which are
seasonal. Consumer interest in foods with provenance is growing. As a nationally recognised region
the Lake District has the potential to export high quality food to national and international markets.
This would continue a trend already started, for example, through Herdwick Direct and the sale of
National Trust beef in local shops.
The Lake District features two world-class forests at Whinlatter and Grizedale. In addition to forest
products they offer destinations for the arts and adventurous recreation. They provide visitors with
walking, cycling and sculpture trails in a beautiful woodland setting.
There are also opportunities for making greater use of under managed woodlands and adding value
to locally produced wood based products.
Maintaining traditional skills is important. They add local distinctiveness, provide links to our heritage
and create jobs. Farming skills and associated tasks such as animal husbandry, dry stone walling,
fencing, drainage and water courses are essential to this cultural landscape.
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