The Yorkshire Dales National Park covers an area of 1773 square kilometres of stunning scenery in the central Pennine Hills. It was officially dedicated as a National Park in 1954, as a result of the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949, because of the range of wildlife, habitats, beautiful scenery and local history.
The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority has the statutory duty to fulfil two purposes:
To conserve and enhance the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage of the area
To promote opportunities for the understanding and enjoyment of the special qualities of the area by the public.
In pursuing these purposes the Authority shall “seek to foster the economic and social well being of local communities within the National Park” (Environment Act 1995).
All of the work of the Authority is about making sure that the special qualities of the Yorkshire Dales are well looked after and will be here for everyone to enjoy in the future. It aims to help everyone, local people and visitors alike, to enjoy the area and understand its value.
The Authority works with local residents and organisations to help protect or improve the environment and heritage of the area. One such scheme is the Malhamdale Heritage Access Strategy which is actually a series of smaller projects, aiming to improve the access to the special features of Malhamdale. This is being carried out with support from the Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust and the Heritage Lottery Fund. Some of the projects involved are the restoration of Malham pinfold, the improvement of Malham village green and Atkinson Copse, and improvements to interpretation in the area.
