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68-471: "Open Country" is a designation used for some access land in England and Wales . It was first defined under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 (and extended by the Countryside Act 1968 ), and was land over which an appropriate access agreement had been made. In particular significant upland areas of the northern Peak District received the designation, where there had been much dispute over access prior to World War II , including

136-503: A beach and/or shoreline. Fishing remains essentially private—apart from on the biggest five lakes and the coast of the Baltic Sea , the Sound , Kattegat and Skagerrak . It is permitted to drive a car on a private road unless explicitly signposted otherwise. Small camp fires are generally permitted, but in some periods banned by local authorities due to wild fire risk. It is allowed to put up

204-401: A dwelling house and land under cultivation. Restrictions apply for nature reserves and other protected areas. It also gives the right to pick wild flowers, mushrooms and berries (provided they are not legally protected), but not to hunt in any way. Swimming in any lake and putting an unpowered boat on any water is permitted unless explicitly forbidden. Visiting beaches and walking by a shoreline

272-513: A fire is often prohibited (though in Sweden and Norway fires are allowed with proper safety precautions). Making noise is discouraged. In some countries, putting up a tent in the forest for one night is allowed, but not the use of a caravan . Access does not extend to built up or developed land (such as houses , gardens ) and does not necessarily include commercial exploitation of the land. For example, workers picking berries may be legal only with

340-449: A horse or cycle freely in the countryside where this does not harm the natural environment or the landowner, except in gardens or in the immediate vicinity of people's homes (yards). Fields and plantations, which may easily be harmed, may usually not be crossed except in the winter. It is also possible to establish outdoor recreation routes on private land, based on an agreement on the rights of use or by official proceedings in accordance with

408-422: A land owner has been permitted to build closer to the shore, he may not restrict people from walking along the shore. Fences and other barriers to prevent public access are not permitted (but yet sometimes erected, resulting in heavy fines). Canoeing , kayaking , rowing and sailing in rivers, lakes, and ocean are allowed. Motorised boats are only permitted in salt water. All waters are open for swimming – with

476-548: A mix of maintained trails and roads, wilderness and undeveloped portions, and developed picnic and camping areas. In recent years increased mobility and affluence has made previously remote areas more accessible and though significant harm or damage is unusual, endangered species are being disturbed, and litter left, by some recreational users. Helena Jonsson, the President of the Federation of Swedish Farmers, argued in 2011 that

544-400: A motorhome or camper, one can park and spend the night anywhere parking is allowed, including along public roads. Checking parking area signs is essential to ensure compliance with overnight stay regulations. Private and forest roads can serve as suitable parking spots, as long as there are no signage restrictions. Off-road driving requires landowner permission, but parking off-road near the road

612-507: A network of rights of way , or some nature reserves with footpaths . Public rights of way frequently exist on the foreshore of beaches. In legal discussions the foreshore is often referred to as the wet-sand area . For privately owned beaches in the United States , some states such as Massachusetts use the low water mark as the dividing line between the property of the State and that of

680-931: A non-off-road road. Exercise of the rights is overseen by the County Administrative Boards —which can, for example, force the removal of a fence if it obstructs access to areas that are important to the allemansrätt . Like other Nordic countries Icelandic law contains a version of the freedom to roam, the right to access uncultivated land and pick berries. "It is permissible to cross uncultivated private property without seeking any special permission, but landowners may limit routes with signs or other marks. State-owned land such as conservation areas and forestry areas are open to everyone with few exceptions. These exceptions include – but are not limited to – access during breeding seasons or during sensitive growth periods". Hikers should, however, "avoid taking shortcuts over fenced areas, pastures and private plots", and follow

748-409: A tent on any uncultivated land for a night or two. There has been some controversy on commercial use of the berry picking rights, when companies legally contract people to pick berries in the forests. Building a fire is generally permitted except on bare rock faces where it can lead to cracking. Municipalities can issue fire bans during dry periods. With a motorhome or camper, you can park and spend

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816-460: A wider region. The intertidal zone also includes steep rocky cliffs , sandy beaches , bogs or wetlands (e.g., vast mudflats ). This area can be a narrow strip, such as in Pacific islands that have only a narrow tidal range, or can include many meters of shoreline where shallow beach slopes interact with high tidal excursion. The peritidal zone is similar but somewhat wider, extending from above

884-400: Is above the spring high-tide line and is covered by water only during storms, and an intertidal zone, which lies between the high and low tidal extremes. Along most shores , the intertidal zone can be clearly separated into the following subzones: high tide zone, middle tide zone, and low tide zone. The intertidal zone is one of a number of marine biomes or habitats , including estuaries ,

952-621: Is allowed for convenience. Overnight stays are generally prohibited in shopping center parking lots, but service stations often provide suitable facilities. When visiting national parks, designated areas or parking lots may allow overnight stays, potentially requiring a permit. Nature reserves have specific rules regarding overnight stays. One may not disturb others or damage property, disturb breeding birds (or their nests or young), or disturb reindeer or game animals. One may not cut down or damage living trees, or collect wood, moss or lichen on other people's property, nor may one light open fires without

1020-471: Is an old consuetudinary law called the allemannsrett (lit. the everyman's right), that was codified in 1957 with the implementation of the Outdoor Recreation Act . It is based on respect for the countryside, and all visitors are expected to show consideration for farmers and landowners, other users and the environment. In Norway the terms utmark and innmark divide areas where the right to roam

1088-553: Is free access to sports fishing using boats or from the shoreline. All fishing is subject to legislation to, among other things, protect biological diversity, and this legislation stipulates rules regarding the use of gear, seasons, bag or size limits and more. In Sweden allemansrätten (lit. "the everyman's right") is a freedom granted by the Constitution of Sweden . Since 1994 the Instrument of Government says that notwithstanding

1156-441: Is more available energy in the localized ecosystem. Also, marine vegetation can grow to much greater sizes than in the other three intertidal subregions due to the better water coverage. The water is shallow enough to allow plenty of sunlight to reach the vegetation to allow substantial photosynthetic activity, and the salinity is at almost normal levels. This area is also protected from large predators such as fish because of

1224-404: Is no camp-site in vicinity. Motorized travellers with motorhomes (RV), camping cars (campers) and trailers must always stay on an official campsite. In national parks, it is forbidden to stay overnight outside an official camp-site, both for motorized and non-motorized travellers. Fishing requires a license but collecting "berries, mushrooms, seaweed and other plants for immediate consumption"

1292-408: Is only covered by the highest of the high tides, and spends much of its time as terrestrial habitat. The high intertidal zone borders on the splash zone (the region above the highest still-tide level, but which receives wave splash). On shores exposed to heavy wave action , the intertidal zone will be influenced by waves, as the spray from breaking waves will extend the intertidal zone. Depending on

1360-414: Is permitted on "public lands and highland pastures". In Estonia, it is permitted to access natural and cultural landscapes on foot, by bicycle, ski, boat, or on horseback. Private property may be accessed at any time. If the private property is fenced or posted against trespassing, the permission of the owner is required to proceed. The owner of the private property is also required to post signs stating

1428-415: Is permitted, providing it is not a part of a garden or within the immediate vicinity of a residence (legally defined as the hemfridszon ). The hemfridszon's size depends on conditions but can be as large as 70 metres from an ordinary dwelling house. To better protect access to water and the right to walk along beaches, it is since 1975 generally not permitted to build a new house near (generally 100 m) from

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1496-413: Is possible to watch ecological succession over years rather than decades. The burrowing invertebrates that make up large portions of sandy beach ecosystems are known to travel relatively great distances in cross-shore directions as beaches change on the order of days, semilunar cycles, seasons, or years. The distribution of some species has been found to correlate strongly with geomorphic datums such as

1564-695: Is teeming with life; the most notable difference between this subregion and the other three is that there is much more marine vegetation, especially seaweeds . There is also a great biodiversity. Organisms in this zone generally are not well adapted to periods of dryness and temperature extremes. Some of the organisms in this area are abalone , sea anemones , brown seaweed , chitons , crabs , green algae , hydroids , isopods , limpets , mussels , nudibranchs , sculpin , sea cucumber , sea lettuce , sea palms , starfish , sea urchins , shrimp , snails , sponges , surf grass , tube worms , and whelks . Creatures in this area can grow to larger sizes because there

1632-457: Is the New Zealand foreshore and seabed controversy . In legal discussions, the foreshore is often referred to as the wet-sand area . For privately owned beaches in the United States , some states such as Massachusetts use the low-water mark as the dividing line between the property of the State and that of the beach owner; however the public still has fishing, fowling, and navigation rights to

1700-448: Is the area above water level at low tide and underwater at high tide; in other words, it is the part of the littoral zone within the tidal range . This area can include several types of habitats with various species of life , such as sea stars , sea urchins , and many species of coral with regional differences in biodiversity. Sometimes it is referred to as the littoral zone or seashore , although those can be defined as

1768-565: Is valid ( utmark , literally something like "land outside [the boundaries]"/"[Out Field]") and where it is invalid or restricted ( innmark , "land inside [the boundaries]"/"[In Field]"). The law specifies innmark thoroughly, and all areas not covered by this definition are defined as utmark , generally speaking uninhabited and uncultivated areas. Cultivated land may only be crossed when frozen or covered in snow. There are some basic rules that must be followed when camping in Norway: In later years

1836-575: The Czech Republic , the freedom to roam takes the form of general public rights which are sometimes codified in law. The access is ancient in parts of Northern Europe and has been regarded as sufficiently fundamental that it was not formalised in law until modern times. However, the right usually does not include any substantial economic exploitation, such as hunting or logging, or disruptive activities, such as making fires and driving offroad vehicles. In countries without such general rights, there may be

1904-460: The neritic zone , the photic zone , and deep zones . Marine biologists divide the intertidal region into three zones (low, middle, and high), based on the overall average exposure of the zone. The low intertidal zone, which borders on the shallow subtidal zone, is only exposed to air at the lowest of low tides and is primarily marine in character. The mid intertidal zone is regularly exposed and submerged by average tides. The high intertidal zone

1972-574: The 1932 mass trespass of Kinder Scout . The term is also used in the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 to describe 'areas of mountain, moor, heath and down' that are generally available for access under that Act. (It appears that the rights conferred by this new definition are in general less comprehensive than those conferred under the 1949 Act, but will apply to a wider area.) The Countryside Agency 's publication Managing Public Access appears to envisage that most land originally designated under

2040-528: The 1949 Act will in due course receive redesignation under the CRoW Act, as the original access agreements lapse. This article relating to law in the United Kingdom , or its constituent jurisdictions, is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Access land In Austria , Belarus , Estonia , Finland , Iceland , Latvia , Lithuania , Norway , Scotland , Sweden , Switzerland and

2108-461: The L. 2971/01, the foreshore zone is defined as the area of the coast that might be reached by the maximum climbing of the waves on the coast (maximum wave run-up on the coast) in their maximum capacity (maximum referring to the "usually maximum winter waves" and of course not to exceptional cases, such as tsunamis ). The foreshore zone, a part of the exceptions of the law, is public, and permanent constructions are not allowed on it. In Italy, about half

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2176-476: The Outdoor Recreation Act, for example. One may stay or set up camp temporarily in the countryside, a reasonable distance from homes, pick mineral samples, wild berries, mushrooms and flowers (as long as they are not protected species). One may fish with a rod and line (only still waters), row, sail or use a motorboat on waterways (with certain restrictions), and swim or bathe in both inland waters and

2244-457: The Swedish right to roam comes with an equal emphasis being placed upon the responsibility to look after the countryside; the maxim is "do not disturb, do not destroy". Many Swedish people consider this to be a form of legacy or human right. Allemansrätten gives a person the right to access, walk, cycle, ride, ski, and camp on any land—with the exception of private gardens, the immediate vicinity of

2312-591: The beach owner. Other states such as California use the high-water mark. In the UK , the foreshore is generally deemed to be owned by the Crown although there are notable exceptions, especially what are termed several fisheries which can be historic deeds to title, dating back to King John 's time or earlier, and the Udal Law , which applies generally in Orkney and Shetland . While in

2380-505: The ecosystems, yet forty-four percent of respondents state that there is a fair amount of knowledge used in those regions for fisheries. Intertidal zones are sensitive habitats with an abundance of marine species that can experience ecological hazards associated with tourism and human-induced environmental impacts . A variety of other threats that have been summarized by scientists include nutrient pollution , overharvesting , habitat destruction , and climate change . Habitat destruction

2448-422: The exception of lakes that are drinking water reservoirs (see for instance Maridalsvannet ). Wild berry foraging is part of the right. Picking cloudberries may, however, be restricted on privately owned land in northern parts of Norway. Hunting rights belong to the landowner, and thus hunting is not included in the right of free access. In freshwater areas such as rivers and lakes, the fishing rights belong to

2516-457: The government because it would otherwise be legally unowned is claimed as the territory of Indigenous people , in countries that were colonised. Much of Canada is Crown land owned by the provinces . Some is leased for commercial activity, such as forestry or mining, but on much of it there is free access for recreational activities like hiking, cycling, canoeing, cross-country skiing, horse back riding, and licensed hunting and fishing, etc. At

2584-590: The high tide strand and the water table outcrop. Since the foreshore is alternately covered by the sea and exposed to the air, organisms living in this environment must be adapted to both wet and dry conditions. Intertidal zone biomass reduces the risk of shoreline erosion from high intensity waves. Typical inhabitants of the intertidal rocky shore include sea urchins , sea anemones , barnacles , chitons , crabs , isopods , mussels , starfish , and many marine gastropod molluscs such as limpets and whelks . Sexual and asexual reproduction varies by inhabitants of

2652-412: The highest tide level to below the lowest. Organisms in the intertidal zone are well-adapted to their environment, facing high levels of interspecific competition and the rapidly changing conditions that come with the tides . The intertidal zone is also home to several species from many different phyla ( Porifera , Annelida , Coelenterata , Mollusca , Arthropoda , etc.). The water that comes with

2720-420: The intertidal zones. Humans have historically used intertidal zones as foraged food sources during low tide . Migratory birds also rely on intertidal species for feeding areas because of low water habitats consisting of an abundance of mollusks and other marine species. As with the dry sand part of a beach, legal and political disputes can arise over the ownership and use of the foreshore. One recent example

2788-461: The landowner is required to access such bodies of water. Neither do bodies of water protected as sources of drinking water or which are in use by aquaculture or are in other special use have a shore path. All of the rights and responsibilities regarding humans’ interaction with nature are collectively termed everyman's right. Everyman's right does not pertain to the organizing of sporting events or other public events in open country. To organize these,

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2856-403: The landowner's permission (except in an emergency). It is acceptable, however, to use an alcohol burner, wood stove or similar device that has no hot parts touching the ground. One may not disturb the privacy of people's homes by camping too near to them or making too much noise, nor litter, drive motor vehicles off-road without the landowner's permission, or fish (excluding angling) or hunt without

2924-544: The landowner's permission. There are some significant differences in the rules of different countries. In Denmark , there is a more restricted freedom to roam on privately held land. All dunes and beaches and all publicly owned forests are open to roaming. Uncultivated, unfenced areas are open to daytime roaming irrespective of ownership status. Privately owned forest have access by roads and tracks only. In Finland, " jokaisenoikeus " in Finnish (everyone's right) has replaced

2992-478: The landowner. Freshwater fishing may only be conducted with the permission of the landowner and by those in possession of a fishing licence. Different rules apply for children under the age of 16. Children under the age of 16 have the right to fish without a licence, a right codified in 1992. This right was tried and upheld in a ruling from the Norwegian Supreme Court in 2004. In salt water areas there

3060-421: The littoral zone allow the utilization of nutrients supplied in high volume on a regular basis from the sea , which is actively moved to the zone by tides. The edges of habitats, in this case the land and sea, are themselves often significant ecosystems , and the littoral zone is a prime example. A typical rocky shore can be divided into a spray zone or splash zone (also known as the supratidal zone ), which

3128-540: The managing agency, and run the gamut from the free-for-all, undeveloped wide open spaces of the Bureau of Land Management lands to the highly developed and controlled US national parks and state parks . Wildlife refuges and state wildlife management areas, managed primarily to improve habitat , are generally open to wildlife watching, hiking, and hunting, except for closures to protect mating and nesting, or to reduce stress on wintering animals. National forests generally have

3196-432: The maximum climbing of the waves on the coast (maximum wave run-up on the coast) in their maximum capacity (maximum referring to the “usually maximum winter waves” and of course not to exceptional cases, such as tsunamis etc.). The foreshore zone, apart from the exceptions in the law, is public, and permanent constructions are not allowed on it. As with the dry sand part of a beach, legal and political disputes can arise over

3264-417: The night anywhere parking is allowed, including along public roads. Driving off-road with caravans and mobile homes is not permitted. At rest areas, the usual maximum stay for overnight stays is around 24 hours on weekdays, with slightly longer durations on weekends. Additional rules will be posted on rest area signs. There are no specific regulations regarding how long you can park your motor vehicle adjacent to

3332-529: The older term " jokamiehenoikeus " (every man's right) to refer to the freedom to roam and related rights. The term in Swedish is " allemansrätten " (lit. "everyone's right"), similar to other Nordic countries. The right is not codified in any specific law. Instead, it arises from the principle of nulla poena sine lege - what is not illegal cannot be punished. Things that are not explicitly disallowed, are allowed by default. Everyone may walk, ski, ride

3400-548: The ownership and public use of the foreshore . One recent example is the New Zealand foreshore and seabed controversy involving the land claims of the Māori people . However, the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Act 2011 guarantees free public access. The public has the right to access some but not all government-owned land. Wilderness areas are typically open for recreational use outside of military facilities. Some land owned by

3468-420: The ownership of the land, and contact numbers, to avoid legal issues. Land owners may not block access to land, roads or bodies of water that are public or are designated for public use, including ice and shore paths. All bodies of water that are public or designated for public use have public shore paths that are up to 4 m wide. The shore path along a navigable body of water may extend to a distance of 10 m from

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3536-493: The permission of the landowners or other possessors of land, and if necessary, of the local government, must be sought. The following is permitted in nature: The following is prohibited: Article 13 of Section I of the Constitution of Belarus guarantees that all forest and farm land is publicly owned. Forty percent of the country's territory is covered by forest, and approximately the same amount devoted to agriculture. Foreshore The intertidal zone or foreshore

3604-473: The relevant permits. If horse riding causes more than a minor inconvenience or disturbance, an agreement for the long term use of the route must be made with the landowner. A horse may also be taken to swim in a water body without the consent of the owner of the water area (excluding public beaches). Everyone in Norway enjoys the right of access to, and passage through, uncultivated land in the countryside. The right

3672-512: The rest of Britain ownership of land extends only to the High water mark , and The Crown is deemed to own what lies below it, in Orkney and Shetland it extends to the lowest Spring ebb. Where the foreshore is owned by the Crown the public has access below the line marking high tide . In Greece, according to the L. 2971/01, the foreshore zone is defined as the area of the coast which might be reached by

3740-811: The right has been won through practice over hundreds of years and it is not known when it changed from mere 'common practice' to become a commonly recognised right. Today these rights underpin opportunities for outdoor recreation in several of the Nordic countries, providing the opportunity to hike across or camp on another's land (e.g. in Sweden for one or two nights), boating on someone else's waters, and picking wildflowers , mushrooms and berries. However, with these rights come responsibilities; that is, an obligation neither to harm, disturb, litter, nor to damage wildlife or crops. Access rights are most often for travel on foot. Rights to fish, hunt or take any other product are usually constrained by other customs or laws. Building

3808-532: The right has come under pressure particularly around the Oslo Fjord and in popular areas of Southern Norway. These areas are popular sites for holiday homes and many owners of coastal land want to restrict public access to their property. As a general rule, building and partitioning of property is prohibited in a 100-metre zone closest to the sea, but local authorities in many areas have made liberal use of their ability to grant exemptions from this rule. However, even if

3876-401: The right to own property "everyone shall have access to nature in accordance with allemansrätten ". What this means is not further explicated on in the constitution, and only sparsely in other legislation. In practice, allemansrätten is defined as actions that are not crimes, will not make a person liable to pay damages , nor can be prohibited by any authority. As in other Nordic countries,

3944-535: The rules in conservation areas. Footpaths should also be followed, if they exist, to help protect the landscape. Furthermore, "landowners may not hinder passage of walkers alongside rivers, lakes and ocean, or on tracks and paths'. Cycling may be restricted on some paths. Equestrians must keep to bridleways where they exist and in other places show "consideration for the land". In many areas, like South and East Iceland, only in uninhabited areas that are not protected maximum 3 Tents maybe pitched up for one night, if there

4012-835: The same time access can be restricted or limited for various reasons (e.g., to protect public safety or resources, including the protection of wild plants and animals). In the Canadian Territories Crown land is administered by the Canadian Federal Government . Canadian National Parks have been created from Crown land and are also administered by the Federal Government. There are also provincial parks and nature reserves that have been similarly created. The aboriginal peoples in Canada may have specific rights on Crown land established under treaties signed when Canada

4080-402: The sea. One can walk, ski and ice fish on frozen lakes, rivers and the sea. Income from selling picked berries or mushrooms is tax-free. Picking cloudberry may be temporarily restricted to local residents in parts of Lapland . In the autonomous province of Åland the right to camp's inclusion in the right to roam was disputed, but since 2013 this is no longer the case. When traveling with

4148-522: The shoreline is owned by the government but leased to private beach clubs called lidos. In the East African and West Indian Ocean, intertidal zone management is often neglected of being a priority due to there being no intent for collective economic productivity. According to workshops performing questionaries, it is stated that eighty-six percent of respondents believe mismanagement of mangrove and coastal ecosystems are due to lack of knowledge to steward

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4216-407: The substratum and topography of the shore, additional features may be noticed. On rocky shores , tide pools form in depressions that fill with water as the tide rises. Under certain conditions, such as those at Morecambe Bay , quicksand may form. This subregion is mostly submerged – it is only exposed at the point of low tide and for a longer period of time during extremely low tides. This area

4284-482: The tides can vary from brackish waters , fresh with rain , to highly saline and dry salt , with drying between tidal inundations. Wave splash can dislodge residents from the littoral zone. With the intertidal zone's high exposure to sunlight , the temperature can range from very hot with full sunshine to near freezing in colder climates. Some microclimates in the littoral zone are moderated by local features and larger plants such as mangroves . Adaptations in

4352-407: The water line. The owner may not close this path even if the private property is posted or marked with no-trespassing signs. Grazing areas and other enclosed areas along the shore paths must have stiles. Ponds with no outlet located entirely on the land of one land owner and lakes smaller than five hectares located on land belonging to more than one land owner shall not be in public use. Permission from

4420-613: The wave action and the relatively shallow water. The intertidal region is an important model system for the study of ecology , especially on wave-swept rocky shores. The region contains a high diversity of species, and the zonation created by the tides causes species ranges to be compressed into very narrow bands. This makes it relatively simple to study species across their entire cross-shore range, something that can be extremely difficult in, for instance, terrestrial habitats that can stretch thousands of kilometres. Communities on wave-swept shores also have high turnover due to disturbance, so it

4488-534: The way land was used had changed and that the law was out of date and needed to be revised, so as "to bar commercial interests from using the law as an excuse to make a profit while they are on other people's private property". Ancient traces provide evidence of the freedom to roam in many European countries, suggesting such a freedom was once a common norm. Today, the right to roam has survived in perhaps its purest form in Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. Here

4556-479: The zone between low and high water. Other states such as California use the high-water mark. In the United Kingdom , the foreshore is generally deemed to be owned by the Crown , with exceptions for what are termed several fisheries , which can be historic deeds to title, dating back to King John 's time or earlier, and the Udal Law , which applies generally in Orkney and Shetland . In Greece , according to

4624-676: Was a British colony, and have claimed ownership of some Crown land. Much of Australia's land area, including most land below the mean high water mark is Crown land , which is administered by the Australian states . Much consists of pastoral leases , land owned and run by Aboriginal people (e.g. APY lands ), and "unallocated" Crown land. Access to the latter is normally permitted for recreational purposes, though motorized vehicles are required to follow roads and to be registered and insured. Most state and federally managed public lands are open for recreational use. Recreation opportunities depend on

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