Peak District Moors
Conservation
The Peak District moors are nationally and internationally important for their breeding birds and habitats such as blanket bog and heathland. Almost all the area is classified as a Special Protection Area, candidate Special Area of Conservation and/or as Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Further information on the conservation interest of the moors is provided in English Nature’s Natural Area Profiles.
Recreation
Sixteen million people live within sixty minutes drive of the Peak District National Park and each year over 22 million day visits are made. In the 1920s and 1930s the moorlands saw the birth of the interest in countryside access and today, surrounded by the great towns and cities of the Midlands and the North, the area continues to provide a recreational resource of great value for all.
Economic
As well as money generated in association with tourism, the moors are economically important to owners and occupiers. Sheep farming, grouse shooting and water gathering all contribute significantly to the well being of the region’s rural and urban communities.