THE National Park Authority frequently consults people on the many different aspects of its work. At the moment, it is consulting partners as part of the review of the National Park management plan.

This is the document that sets the framework for managing the National Park. It covers a wide range of issues including farming, landscape, traffic and transport, and nature conservation.

Many of the partners gathered recently at a management plan review workshop held at St Martin's College, Ambleside, to discuss policies that had been drafted following a workshop held in October last year.

They also discussed what actions they would need to take to put those policies into practice.

"The workshop was a valuable opportunity for people from a wide range of organisations to meet face-to-face," said the authority's consultation officer Quentin Merritt.

"There was a tremendous amount of common ground. And even where people disagreed, they were still able to have a constructive debate," he added.

The point of the workshop, and of the whole consultation process, is to involve as many people as possible in caring for the National Park.

"The management plan is a plan for the whole National Park," said Mr Merritt. "It is not just a plan for our organisation, which is why we are engaging with people.

"We are not just asking them what they think the authority should do, but working with them to develop policies and actions. And then, most important of all, we will be working together to implement those policies and actions."

There will be more consultation over the coming months. This will focus in particular on developing actions to put the policies into practice. These actions will then be translated into SMART objectives, to make sure that they are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-based.

"This means everyone who cares

for the National Park will be able to see exactly what we are trying to achieve," explained Mr Merritt. "It also means we will be able to monitor progress and

update our action plan on a year-by-year basis."

The new plan is due to be published at the end of 2003, in two parts. The first part will contain policies for managing the National Park over the next five years, and the second will contain the actions for implementing those policies.

These actions will be updated annually, which means there will be more consultation and opportunities for even more people to get involved in looking after the National Park.

JANE RENOUF

April 17, 2003 12:00