Twenty six Wildlife and Countryside Link members recently wrote to DEFRA calling for an end to the burning of upland bogs (primarily for intensive grouse shooting).
Click here for the letter and click here for the accompanying press release.
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During Autumn Watch, a long shot panning across the Cairngorms to enjoy the autumn colours, managed to capture a burn taking place in the distance. Did anyone else spot this? Did CP bite his tongue or was it just missed?
Some temporal and spatial assumptions here
Granted.
Spent a great day in Wensleydale on Monday, blue sky and sunshine, perfect light for photography. Spoiled only by the smoke from heather burning drifting down into Redmire from the Moor behind Bolton Castle. I wonder why the folk tolerate this. It can’t be doing their health any good
Once the burning of heather on driven grouse moors is banned, the estates will no doubt turn to using heather cutting machines instead. This damaging process was introduced by United Utilities a decade ago on part of their Forest of Bowland estate and what a mess that made on moorland where it was undertaken.
I’m interested in Terry’s comment because FC used heather cutting quite extensively in the New Forest, with heather bales being the main tool in restoring the unique valley mires. Is it the impact on the heather or the ground ? Obviously, the New Forest is as dry as peaty uplands are wet. If you are going to work on wet ground you need the right, low ground pressure tractors. If there are problems they should be recognised and addressed – neither hidden nor simply abandoning a potentially valuable tool (though I’m not suggesting you are saying that, Terry), and all too commo0n reaction to new activities.
There’s a very positive article in a recent British Wildlife about RSPB Geltsdale where amongst many other improvements they are using heather cutting rather than burning. They are baling for drain blocking, too, and for the future, cut heather can be burnt for energy rather than going up in smoke.