Further to this morning’s blog on DEFRA admitting to being clueless about where the 40cm peat (that they claim they are wanting to protect) can be found, here is another perplexing information response to the talented Guy Shrubsole. I’ve missed a few things out of the fairly long response but not anything material as far…
Category: BAN DRIVEN GROUSE SHOOTING
More from the Mirror on burning of our uplands
Emmerdale actor, Nick Miles, who is a Yorkshire Dales resident opposes heather burning and points out that birds of prey are killed illegally on grouse moors. Good for him! The Moorland Association, whose members are responsible for most of the torching of the uplands, say that burning stuff can have a positive impact on carbon…
Secret green shame – in open view
This piece from the Daily Mirror’s environment editor is a cracker. We’ve come a long way in the last few years – can you imagine such an article being published a decade ago – no way. And with quotes from RSPB, Wildlife Trusts and CPRE? Opposing the environmental damage caused by the unsustainable intensive management…
Regrets, we have a few
You’ll remember that DEFRA said it was going to do great things on preventing burning of blanket bogs and then it did very little. Yesterday, Labour Peer, Baroness Jones of Whitchurch, tabled a motion of Regret in the House of Lords to draw attention to the inadequacy of the government’s much delayed and much-caveated Statutory…
Don’t trust DEFRA
Do you remember this blog published on 12 September? It featured this question and answer in parliament; I wrote to my MP on this matter in mid September and he passed my concerns on to DEFRA in late September, to which they replied in a letter dated 5 February for which Mr Pursglove wrote a…
Not really a ban is it?
Today 17 conservation and countryside organisations, coordinated by Wildlife and Countryside Link, wrote to DEFRA’s George Eustice to call for proper measures to limit burning on peat soils instead of the government’s weak proposals. The organisations comprise: RSPB, Wildlife Trusts, National Trust, Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, Plantlife, Butterfly Conservation, Rewilding Britain, Open Spaces Society,…
Mountain Hares to be moved to Langholm by friendly gamekeepers?
The Scottish Gamekeepers Association say they plan to talk to the Langholm Initiative about returning Mountain Hares back to Langholm. The suggestion that this would involve up to 25,000 animals a year, the number that have been culled in recent years (2015 figure), are certainly exagerrated – but this ‘proposal’ looks more like a new…
Burning
This post is about the announcement, long-awaited announcement, overdue announcement, that DEFRA made on Friday about burning on blanket bogs. I’ll tell you what I think in the hope that it influences what you think. I’ve read the announcement, and thought about it, and that probably helps. 1. The announcement is good news The announcement…
Hen Harrier brood meddling on trial (6)
Another good day in court. The three judges were engaged with the subject and asked quite a lot of questions (they seemed sensible questions to me). Now we wait until judgment is handed down which I guess will be at least a month away – maybe more. It wouldn’t be wise to comment on how…
Hen Harrier brood meddling on trial (5)
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Today we go back to the online Court of Appeal. It’s inappropriate to comment on how yesterday went but at times it was quite gripping. Our and the RSPB’s appeal is being heard by Lord Justice Newey, Lord Justice Phillips and Lord Justice Underhill. I’m represented by David Wolfe QC, the RSPB by David Forsdick…