Natural England Praises Grouse Moors

Natural England’s Chief Executive, Dr Helen Phillips said: “Heather moorland, brought about by centuries of management for sheep and grouse, plays an essential role in maintaining the wildlife richness and much loved heather clad landscapes of Northern England. Natural England appreciates the very significant benefits that current best practice management on these grouse moors delivers and we applaud the members of the Moorland Association for their continued careful guardianship of these special places."

Moorland Management

Fencing off Over Grazed Areas Results in Regeneration of Heather

Click for larger photo

Moorland owners and their staff work hard around the calendar to conserve and improve the heather, which forms such a crucial habitat for ground nesting birds and other wildlife. Time, financial investment, knowledge and skill are all required if a moor is to thrive, and the prime aim is to create a shootable surplus of grouse to provide the income for a wide range of management activities. Apart from such routine tasks as road and butt maintenance, these principally comprise the following:

Heather Burning
Sheep management
Predator control
Bracken control
Disease control - louping ill and strongylosis
Heather re-seeding
Heather beetle control

Effective moorland management is vital for the encouragement and wellbeing of many bird species. In 2000, a paper was written as a comparison of bird life on a managed moor compared to that of an unmanaged moor. Please click here to read the paper.

© Moorland Association 2006
Any photographs may only be reproduced for editorial use with permission.
Please contact Amanda Anderson Tel 0845 4589786 for any press or photographic inquiries.

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