[T]he fells are the daily backdrop for Dr Lois Mansfield, principal lecturer in the department of science, natural resources and outdoor studies at the University of Cumbria’s Ambleside campus.
Yet the hills, and the people who work them, are more than just part of the courses she’s taught at the university for over a decade.
Dr Mansfield is already known for a publication widely regarded as the ‘go to’ volume for upland farming and her latest work is likely to attract similar attention.
‘Managing Upland Resources: New Approaches for Rural Environments’ critically reviews why there has yet to be a clear route to upland resource management at a time when there’s increasing demand on the land.
The publication considers the problem and suggests appropriate solutions citing in-depth case studies by resource management professionals and the use of many examples of contemporary good practice from different uplands, organisations, projects and programmes.
“Many traditional approaches to rural land management are strictly sectoral, with a rigid introspective focus,” Dr Mansfield said. “Consequently the impact of silo-driven change on other land users they can often be overlooked or not appreciated.”
The aim of the book is to provide a tool kit for individuals, groups or organisations looking to manage the upland resource for the benefit of all.
“Increasingly, rural areas are becoming recognised as a wider resource beyond traditional food, fibre and water, leading to inevitable management tensions,” Dr Mansfield said. “Goal setting, vision and strategy development, management planning, aims, objectives and prescription (actions) are considered and some of the new agendas for resource use in uplands which may be worth consideration for individual projects are explored.”
Publisher: Whittles Publishing (28 Feb. 2018) ISBN-10: 1849952299 ISBN-13: 978-1849952293
