Crib Goch and the summit of Yr Wyddfa in winter
Eryri contains not only some of the most beautiful scenery in Britain but also contains a variety of landscapes, and habitats for animals, birds and plants; from 23 miles (37km) of coastline with sand dunes, estuaries; to glacial valleys, the remnants of broad -leaved woodlands of oak, ash, rowan and hazel that once covered the mountain slopes, lakes, streams and open mountains. There are more National Nature reserves in Eryri than any other National Park in Britain and it is home to many nationally and internationally rare species such as the Peregrine Falcon, Merlin, and the Snowdon Lily (Lloydia Serotina) an arctic/alpine plant only present in the park, and the beautiful rainbow coloured snowdon Beetle (chrysolina cerealis)found only around Yr Wyddfa.
View from Tryfan
Trum y ddysgl
It is also an area steeped in history and Legend and was the natural fortress for the Princes of Gwynedd and for Llywelyn, the last true Prince of Wales.
Dolbadarn Castle below Yr wyddfa, An 11th century castle of the Princes of Wales, and of Llywelyn.National Parks in Britain are 'national' in the sense that they are of a national value and importance, but they are not nationally owned. The designation of an area as a National park does not affect the ownership of the land, neither does it remove the rights of local communities or infer special rights to the public. Most of the land remains in private ownership, although there are significant areas of Parks that are in public ownership, most notably the Ministry of defence and the Forestry Commission. In Eryri 69.9% of the land is in private ownership, 15.8% is owned by the Forestry Commission, 0.9% by water companies, 8.9 by the National Trust, 1.7% by the Countryside Council for Wales, 1.65 by other groups,and 1.25 by the Park authority itself.
It may be considered incompatible with landscape and nature conservation to have land in private ownership and to have economic landuses in a designated area, however, the International union for Nature and Natural Resources conservation (IUCN) acknowledges that a high proportion of the natural beauty and diversity in the world occurs in areas occupied by people. In recognition of this , IUCN established a category of protected landscapes (category V) in its list of Protected Areas Management Categories. The objectives of Categotry V protected landscapes are:
* preserving and enhancing the natural beauty of the areas,
*promoting their enjoyment by the public
Eryri National Park therefore attempts to reconcile landscape and nature conservation with recreational needs, tourism, and the local economy; whilst attempting to maintain traditional land uses and the cultural heritage of the area.
The National Parks Authority
The 1949 Act set up the National Parks Commission, which was to be responsible for the designation of National Parks and for advising on administrative matters. The functions of the Commission were continued by the Countryside Commission from 1969
and in Wales these responsibilities were transferred in 1991 to the Countryside Council For Wales.
The management and administration of the Park lies in the hands of the National Park Authority. Until the reorganisation of local government in Wales on the 1st April 1996 the Snowdonia National Park was a department of the Gwynedd county council.
With the creation of the new unitary authorities of Gwynedd Council and Conwy County Borough Council came also the creation of a new local authority , the Snowdonia National Park Authority.
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This page created and maintained by Gareth A. Rennie,
Division of Environment, Tourism and Leisure; University of Wales, Bangor
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