Its new Business Plan will determine the focus of the Authority’s work over the next three years to 2012.

It continues the strategic priorities of delivering improvements to the wildlife and landscape of the National Park, increasing understanding and enjoyment and contributing to the health and economic well-being of local communities. It also includes a directive to take practical action to mitigate against and adapt to climate change.

Andy Wilson, Chief Executive, said: “Surveys carried out with residents and visitors to the National Park earlier this year indicate that both groups feel keeping the area quiet and peaceful should be a key priority, so we are adding work on this to our more traditional activities.

“Corporate partners saw climate change as a priority. We have already begun to address this issue by looking at ways to reduce the authority’s carbon footprint and also working with communities to reduce their consumption through the Community Renewable Energy Project.

"This work will continue, but we felt that responding to climate change needed to be a priority in its own right as this could be the biggest long term threat to the National Park.”

Areas identified in the new business plan for increased resources include:

l peat land conservation, incentives to increase woodland planting and addressing threatened historic monuments

l volunteers service and public rights of way work

l increasing awareness of the North York Moors across the whole region

l delivery of the five year Lime and Ice access and interpretation project in the south west area of the Park

l expansion of the Village Caretaker Scheme

A copy of the plan can be viewed on the authority’s website at www.moors.uk.net