Exmoor National Park Management Plan

Exmoor is a national asset, one of a family of 15 National Parks that are special places for people and nature, ‘breathing spaces’ for the nation. It takes a collective effort to care for these precious landscapes. We have a clear ambition to maximise the benefits our National Park can provide for nature and people. Exmoor National Park Authority can’t achieve these ambitions alone, we must work with our partners, people and organisations who have a role in securing a positive future for Exmoor. Hence why we refer to this National Park Management Plan as our ‘Partnership Plan’.

Globally we’re facing a climate emergency and nature is in crisis, with our natural resources - soil, water and air under enormous pressure. Many of those impacts are being felt within the National Park. This Plan also comes at a time when challenges for local communities and businesses are greater than ever. As a remote rural area Exmoor faces limited access to services, rural isolation and inequality. Tourism and farming are the key drivers of our economy and both face many challenges.

But, alongside these challenges come opportunities. There are new opportunities for landowners, businesses and communities that can create jobs, keep local wealth within the community, improve people’s health and well-being and connect people with nature, heritage and natural beauty. Changes are happening in the way that land is managed, our priorities for land and resources, and how these are funded.

So we have taken a different approach for this Plan. The ambitious vision and targets in the Plan set out what is required to deliver both National Park purposes and the Government’s agenda for Protected Landscapes. Our partnership approach is crucial to delivery of the Plan, and we will continue to work with established partners, and develop new partnerships to achieve this.

We want Exmoor to be even better; greener, wilder and more accessible to all; and a home to thriving communities.