Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) are designated areas where protection is afforded to protect and manage the areas for visitors and local residents. AONBs are also known as National Landscapes.Under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, Natural England has the power to designate AONBs in England that are outside national parks and that are considered to have such natural beauty it is desirable they are conserved and enhanced; issue a variation order to change an existing AONB boundary. It also holds a duty to give advice on developments taking place in an AONB; take into account the conservation and enhancement of AONBs in its work.National Landscapes are living places. Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is not a nature designation, and caring for the natural beauty of these places involves more than habitat restoration.There are 46 National Landscapes in the UK. These are places with national importance, protected for the nation's benefit, but cared for by local teams with a deep understanding of the distinctive web of interconnecting factors that make these places special.The physical geography in a National Landscape: the unique combination of landform, climate and geology determines which species thrive, which industries grow, and therefore the heritage, language and culture of the individual place.For more information visit https://national-landscapes.org.uk/.Full metadata can be viewed on data.gov.uk.

The Causeway Coast and Glens is an area of breathtaking beauty where the rugged coastline merges with a romantic landscape of deep, silent glens and lust forest parks and boasts three Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is a must see destination whether you're a local or come from further afield. The area features picturesque rural and fishing villages, bustling seaside resorts, golden, Blue Flag beaches and Northern Ireland's only UNESCO World Heritage Site at the Giant's Causeway. The Causeway Coast and Glens promises a warm welcome for visitors and an unforgettable experience.This map showcases the most popular visitor attractions within Causeway Coast and Glens.Link: https://www.opendatani.gov.uk/dataset/places-to-visit-in-causeway-coast-and-glens Link: https://www.visitcausewaycoastandglens.com/

The protected areas include National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and National Scenic Areas. The original datasets used to create this are listed and linked below: National Parks (England)Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (England)Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (Wales)Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (Northern Ireland)National Scenic AreasOtter Data filtered to the relevant years and then to only include open recordsLand Cover Map 2019 (25m rasterised land parcels, GB)Citation: Morton, R. D.; Marston, C.G.; O’Neil, A. W.; Rowland, C. S. (2020). Land Cover Map 2019 (25m rasterised land parcels, GB). NERC Environmental Information Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/f15289da-6424-4a5e-bd92-48c4d9c830ccLand Cover Map 2019 (25m rasterised land parcels, N. Ireland)Citation: Morton, R. D.; Marston, C.G.; O’Neil, A. W.; Rowland, C. S. (2020). Land Cover Map 2019 (25m rasterised land parcels, N. Ireland). NERC Environmental Information Data Centre. https://doi.org/10.5285/2f711e25-8043-4a12-ab66-a52d4e649532OS Open RiversData was processed in ArcGIS Pro before being shared to ArcGIS Online before being used in Report Builder for ArcGIS.

These maps will help to indicate to landowners whether there is likely to be potential to establish new woodland on their land, and where there may be sensitivities that would preclude woodland creation. The maps do not indicate that, where there is a low sensitivity to new woodland being created, planting will be agreed by the Forestry Commission, the regulator for woodland and forestry projects in England. However, the low sensitivity areas do not have clear constraints to address on the basis of national datasets, and it should be easier to agree creating new woodland here than in other areas. Likewise, creation of new woodland, particularly of native woodland, may be appropriate outside ‘low sensitivity’ areas, but the appropriateness of proposals in these areas will again be determined by the Forestry Commission, including through responding to the views of Natural England, Environment Agency, Historic England, the Local Authority and other stakeholders, where relevant. The Sensitivity Maps exclude all land that is unsuitable for planting, including urban areas, existing (and assumed) woodland and habitats that are considered too wet, too rocky, and too salty to support the growth of trees. This is achieved through restricting the Sensitivity Maps to the following land covers, based on the most recent update of Landcover Map: Acid grassland, Arable and horticulture, Calcareous grassland, Heather, Heather grassland, Improved grassland, and Neutral grassland The spatial datasets and individual layers of those datasets that define land as unsuitable and low, medium, or high sensitivity for woodland creation in the Full Sensitivity Map version 4.0, the Low Sensitivity Map and their variants are set out in the document here:www.gov.uk/guidance/a-guide-to-forestry-commissions-sensitivity-maps-for-woodland-creationEngland Woodland Creation Full Sensitivity Map v4.0 - variant 1

This is the England Woodland Creation Full Sensitivity Map v4.0 plus areas of land that have different sensitivities assigned compared to the core England woodland creation Full sensitivity map 4.0:

• Agricultural Land Classification 3a (ALC 3a) assigned as low sensitivity

• Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) assigned as low sensitivity

• National Parks (NPs) assigned as low sensitivity

These maps will help to indicate to landowners whether there is likely to be potential to establish new woodland on their land, and where there may be sensitivities that would preclude woodland creation. The maps do not indicate that, where there is a low sensitivity to new woodland being created, planting will be agreed by the Forestry Commission, the regulator for woodland and forestry projects in England. However, the low sensitivity areas do not have clear constraints to address on the basis of national datasets, and it should be easier to agree creating new woodland here than in other areas. Likewise, creation of new woodland, particularly of native woodland, may be appropriate outside ‘low sensitivity’ areas, but the appropriateness of proposals in these areas will again be determined by the Forestry Commission, including through responding to the views of Natural England, Environment Agency, Historic England, the Local Authority and other stakeholders, where relevant. The Sensitivity Maps exclude all land that is unsuitable for planting, including urban areas, existing (and assumed) woodland and habitats that are considered too wet, too rocky, and too salty to support the growth of trees. This is achieved through restricting the Sensitivity Maps to the following land covers, based on the most recent update of Landcover Map: Acid grassland, Arable and horticulture, Calcareous grassland, Heather, Heather grassland, Improved grassland, and Neutral grassland The spatial datasets and individual layers of those datasets that define land as unsuitable and low, medium, or high sensitivity for woodland creation in the Full Sensitivity Map version 4.0, the Low Sensitivity Map and their variants are set out in the document here: www.gov.uk/guidance/a-guide-to-forestry-commissions-sensitivity-maps-for-woodland-creationEngland Woodland Creation Low Sensitivity Map v4.0 - variant 2

This is the England Woodland Creation Low Sensitivity Map v4.0 plus areas of land that have different sensitivities assigned compared to the core England woodland creation Low sensitivity map 4.0:

• Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) assigned as low sensitivity

• National Parks (NPs) assigned as low sensitivity