Tourists are vital to the economy of the North Pennines

The North Pennines management plan will include an area from Hexham and the Tyne Valley to the Yorkshire Dales and across to east of Carlisle.

The plan tackles how to sustain visitor numbers and conserve rare plants and animals.

The area includes a range of habitats of exceptional conservation value such as blanket bog and upland oak woodland.

It also supports internationally important numbers of birds including breeding waders, golden plovers and black grouse.

The North Pennines is the second largest of England's 41 area of outstanding natural beauty.

Chris Woodley-Stewart, North Pennines AONB Officer, said: "The area supports internationally important numbers of birds including upwards of 20,000 pairs of breeding waders, 12% of the UK's merlin population and 80% of England's struggling black grouse population.

Increased pressures

"The AONB staff unit has worked with a great many organisations and individuals to produce this plan.

"We have consulted with a further 50 plus organisations and received almost 1,000 responses to the consultation draft of the plan.

"The challenge now is for everyone to work together to turn the words into action."

The Countryside Agency has provided funding towards the development costs of the management plan, which has taken two and a half years to complete.

Huw Davies, Countryside Agency North East director, added: "Pressure on all of our best loved countryside continues to increase, and the North Pennines is no exception.

"Employment opportunities in our rural communities are limited, hence tourism and visitors have become increasingly important to the economy of the area, but achieving a balance between access and conservation is vital if we are to prevent the destruction of the very thing visitors come to see."