This Geodiversity Statement and Action Plan for Cumbria has been prepared by Cumbria GeoConservation (CGC) as a resource for planners, education providers, and the many bodies involved in landscape and nature conservation in Cumbria.

It supersedes the Group’s previous Geodiversity Action Plan which was published in 2009.  Since that time there have been several significant developments, in particular the designation of the Lake District National Park as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2017, the publication of the LDNP 2020-2025 Management Plan, and the reorganisation of the county’s local government into two new unitary authorities: Cumberland, and Westmorland & Furness. The time is therefore ripe for a restatement of the importance of geodiversity, and an assessment of the key challenges for geoconservation in the decade ahead.

For its size, Cumbria is one of the most geodiverse areas in Europe, with an abundance of important geological and geomorphological features, and landscapes of global significance. This is reflected in the county’s wealth of protected landscapes, and geological sites of both local and national importance.

The purpose of this document is:

• • to raise awareness of Cumbria’s geodiversity amongst planners, and the many bodies involved with nature conservation in Cumbria;
  • to explain why geological conservation matters, and why conserved and well-managed geoheritage provides a wide range of social and economic benefits, as well as being a valuable resource for education and scientific research.