MEMBERS of the North East Lancashire Ramblers Association are preparing to cover new ground now the new Countryside Act has became law.
The act received Royal Assent on November 30 and gives the public the right to roam on mountain moorland, heath, down and common land in England and Wales.
Over the next five years, around four million acres of uncultivated uplands will be open to the public.
Access will be restricted to walkers only, and horse riders will be excluded.
The act has received support from the National Trust, Friends of the Earth, the Royal for the Prevention of Birds and the Mountain Rescue Council.
A spokesman for the North East Lancashire Ramblers Association said: "It was not until the foundation of the Ramblers Association that the campaign actively gained momentum, and even then it has taken 65 years to achieve the passage of this act, which is a tribute to all who fought this battle a generation ago."
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