CORRESPONDING SOCIETIES 413 
AVAILABILITY OF AREAS. 
For the purposes of National Parks Britain must be considered as a 
single unit. There are no obstacles to travel between England, Wales 
and Scotland. The Scottish Highlands are as accessible from the Midland 
towns as are the South Downs or the New Forest or Dartmoor. The 
distance even from London to Fort Augustus is to-day of no great conse- 
quence, and will become negligible with the improved transport and greater 
leisure of succeeding ages. It is therefore reasonable to suppose that in 
selecting the sites of the National Parks, political boundaries will be ignored, 
and attention given only to the sublimity or beauty of the scenery, to its 
untouched condition, to the ease with which it may be acquired, and, 
finally, to as nearly as possible an even geographical distribution of the Park 
land throughout the kingdom. On this basis it may be fairly assumed that 
of the 6,000 sq. miles which we have claimed, 2,000 sq. miles will be allotted 
to Scotland, and 4,000 sq. miles to England and Wales. 
Now, in Scotland, the area under permanent grass, rough grazing, moors 
and forests extends to 23,800 sq. miles, including over 5,000 sq. miles of 
deer forest and grouse moor. In Scotland therefore there will be no 
difficulty in securing the stipulated 2,000 sq. miles. 
In England and Wales the problem is rather more difficult. It is true 
that the area under permanent grass, moors and forests amounts to 
30,300 sq. miles, but much of this land lacks the beauty which is the first 
requisite of a National Park. It is, however, quite consistent with our 
original premises to include in our National Park System land already 
partially or even fully developed, so long as further development, if any, 
is nationally controlled solely in the interests of amenity. On this basis 
the Lake District might yield about 700 sq. miles. In the stricter sense, 
implying actual possession, the Peak might yield about 200 sq. miles of 
National Park, and the Yorkshire moors anything between 400 and 800 sq. 
miles. If we add to these some considerable part of the English Commons 
(in so far as not already included) which themselves extend to 2,500sq. miles, 
the Forest of Dean, the New Forest, Snowdonia and other parts of Wales, 
parts of the South Downs, the Cotswolds, the Malvern Hills and of the 
thirty other regions which were brought to the notice of the Committee 
on National Parks, it will be abundantly clear that there is still room in 
England and Wales for a system of National Parks extending to 4,000 sq. 
miles, and that too without any material interference with the economic 
life of the country. I adhere therefore to my original figure of 6,000 sq. miles, 
being 2,000 sq. miles in Scotland and 4,000 sq. miles in England and Wales. 
ADMINISTRATION. 
The control or acquisition, development and protection of so great 
an area is obviously an undertaking too great for local authorities, either 
singly or in combination, and still more so for semi-private bodies such 
as the National Trusts. It will be necessary to constitute by Act of 
Parliament a new Government Department which may be called the 
National Park Commission. For reasons which will appear presently, its 
permanent head should be the chief commissioner for Crown Lands ; other 
members, possibly to the number of 8 or 10, shall hold office for five years ; 
two shall be appointed by the Government of the day, and the rest shall 
be nominated by suitable English, Scottish and Welsh Associations 
designated in the Act. 
