Burned Sphagnum photographed yesterday on Midhope Moors, Peak District.
And here is Midhope Moors with the blanket bog shaded in buff from the Defra MAGIC system https://magic.defra.gov.uk/MagicMap.aspx
And some more burned Sphagnum up there in the blanket bog.
Well, this looks to me like a recent burn. I understand that Wakefield Farms are the landowners here and they are certainly signed up to Mr Gove’s and Natural England’s voluntary agreement not to burn blanket bog. This looks to me like a case that NE will have to look into. Let’s hope the European Commission doesn’t get to know of too many cases of burning of blanket bog otherwise those infraction proceedings will be moving on.
It’s just business as per usual ,it just shows what an absolute joke this so called voluntary agreement not to burn Blanket Bog is,What a complete SHAM !
Totally agree with Brian above, a complete shame.
However I would like to say it’s really is “ hats off” to Mark Avery for highlighting and making people aware,through his blog, these these shames and all the destruction inflicted of OUR wild flora and fauna by the grouse shooting for fun industry. It also highlights the complete abdication by this Government of taking any action to prevent these irresponsible and often illegal activities by some grouse moor owners.
Keep up the good work Mark you are doing a great job, we will win in the end but it may take a time.
Its not just the voluntary code that is a joke, its the entire industry!
Gove knows damn well they have no intention of stopping the burning or any of their other environmentally damaging practices.
With that amount of sphagnum cover, there is absolutely no argument that restoration burning is required. This is about checking sphagnum recovery to promote the sort of heather growth that you can only achieve on a dry heath.
Lets keep outing the sham.
I’m beginning to sense you are not alone in this Mark. Well done and the best of luck with this effort.
It does not take any depth of knowledge to view the evidence here as conclusive. I hope that there is more to come over the next weeks. Will that be enough to make the perpetrators take more care or desist? Not a chance. They have the whole government behind them. Will brexit come quickly enough to make it alright to allow them to continue to destroy the UK environment? Nobody knows.
Mark, you can change the opacity of the overlay (in this case beige blanket bog) by moving the relevant sliders in the ‘Table of contents’ so enabling the base map to still be visible. (Apologies if grannies and eggs come to mind?)
Martin WW – always keen to learn!
Voluntary agreements and this industry aren’t compatible. Never were, never will be.
I find it interesting that the crimes that the police tend to ignore are those that tend to be undertaken by the rich and powerful and their minions. From hunting with hounds to illegal raptor persecution, burning of blanket bogs, to tax evasion and banking fraud they seem powerless to act, but they can bang up a disadvantaged youth for any number of petty crimes at the drop of a hat. Funny that! I suppose with limited resources they just go for the low-hanging fruit and keep their lords and masters happy.