Access to the Countryside
There is an increasing trend towards countryside recreation. Most visits to the countryside are within a five-mile radius from home, so access to open space near to where people live is significant. Appropriate access to nature reserves and other wildlife areas is consistent with the conservation of biodiversity. Access helps to increase public awarenss and understanding of nature, thus contributing to biodiversity protection as well as having economic, health and social benefits. However, visitor pressures can be detrimental, especially at heavily used sites. Without careful management of visitors sensitive species and habitats may be damaged, and noisy, disruptive and damaging activities should be prevented or very carefully controlled.
CROW Act
The Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 introduced a new right of access for open-air recreation to mountain, moor, heath, down (collectively described as open country) and registered common land. There will be restrictions on this new right, including restrictions on dogs and provisions for landowners to exclude or restrict access for any reason for up to 28 days a year. CCW will prepare codes of pratice for users, landowners and local authorities providing guidance on their respective rights and responsibilities.
Green Tourism
Green, or sustainable tourism is now much encouraged by tourism authorities keen to minimise the impact of that industry on the environment. There is a strong demand for imaginative, enjoyable and informative visitor attractions that enable people to appreciate the countryside with ease. Benefits may be derived from wildlife trails and events of farms, open days at nature reserves, working holidays on conservation projects, school group stays etc. It is essential, however, that projects manage visitor pressures so that damage to the wildlife resource and the environment in general is at an acceptably low, or sustainable level. To achieve this aim issues such as transport and consumption of resources (e.g. water, fuel) needs to be considered.
Visitors to the county of Carmarthenshire could help to increase the information we hold on wildlife in the area if they had the opportunity to pass on that information before they left the area. One possible method of obtaining this information could be to encourage hoteliers and guesthouse owners to keep wildlife comments books alongside their visitor guest books.
