History of geoconservation

Conservation of geodiversity is essential and there are numerous threats to geodiversity that need to be considered, such as unsustainable fossil collecting, coastal erosion, quarrying or infill of disused quarries and vegetation overgrowth. The concept of geoconservation - the conservation of geodiversity - is new in most countries, yet Great Britain has had a framework for protecting geological resources that has been in place for more than 50 years, with roots that stretch back to the late nineteenth century.

There are many documented examples of measures to protect geological sites from the early 1800s onwards. During the 1800s and early 1900s there was a strong appreciation that geology was a significant part of the natural world, supporting and helping to nurture the habitats and wildlife that live upon the underlying rocks and soils. For example, early examples of protective measures in the United Kingdom include legislation to protect Salisbury Crags in Edingburgh, and the Cheesewring granite tor in Cornwall.

In the late 1940s the Nature Conservancy started to oversee the designation of the first National Parks in Britain and the development of the Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) series. Although geological features were a component of both designations, the first comprehensive and systematic review of geological sites in Great Britain was started by the Geological Conservation Review (GCR) in 1977, under the auspices of Nature Conservancy Council (NCC). However, it was not until the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981) that it became mandatory for the NCC to notify landowners, in addition to local planning authorities, of geological sites on their land.

Beyond the UK, the geological importance of the volcanic landscape of Siebengebirge, Germany was recognised in its designation as the first geological nature reserve in 1836. Early geoconservation efforts were also seen in the USA. In 1864 Yosemite Valley in California became a protected area, which was closely followed by the designation of the world's first national park at Yellowstone. The main reason for its designation was to protect its 'natural curiosities and wonders', thus preserving the features of geothermal interest in their natural condition.