Walking on Dorset’s Heath
Protecting and Managing the Heaths
Today there are about 8500 hectares of heathland in Dorset
The majority of Dorset heaths are designated Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and above, such as Special Protection Areas (SPAs) and Special Areas of Conservation (SACs).
These nature conservation protection classifications are to protect these important places. SPAs and SACs are collectively known as Natura 2000 (N2000) sites which form a European wide network of nature conservation sites. Protecting and managing these sites is a shared responsibility with landowners, managers, Natural England and site users including us as dog walkers.
The Country Watch website is a ‘one-stop rural resource centre’ for all things related to rural crime in Dorset. It was developed with a range of agencies and organisations to improve access for rural communities to information on rural crime and related issues. The website has five key areas of focus, as well as a news page: Country Watch includes information on the work of the Dorset Partnership Against Rural Crime (PARC), Fly-tipping and Waste Crime, Heritage Crime, Rural Resources and Wildlife Crime – this can be innocently and inadvertently committed by those out walking their dogs, which Country Watch, the Dorset PARC, and Dorset Dogs are working to raising awareness of.
