Land management

Within the Yorkshire Dales National Park, the land itself – and the way it is managed through farming and forestry – is currently the largest source of greenhouse gases.

Carbon dioxide emissions arise from energy use from farms (machinery, buildings, etc) and land use (peat oxidation, cultivation of soils and liming, etc).  Other greenhouse gas emissions arise from livestock and fertiliser use.

The land in the National Park also acts as a carbon ‘sink’ – storing carbon and removing it from the atmosphere. The largest ‘sinks’ are the soils (especially peat) and woodlands.

The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority is working with a range of other bodies to help to support farmers and landowners to change the way in which land is managed so as to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and to increase the amount of carbon being stored naturally.  

Current projects include:

• The Yorkshire Peat Partnership

• Dales Woodland Restoration

• England Catchment Sensitive Farming Delivery Initiative and Environmental Stewardship