News

FIRST AGREEMENT FOR THRIVING UPLANDS

7th December 2005

The owner of one of the highest and most dramatic heather moorland landscapes in the Pennines, is celebrating a new agreement with English Nature today (7th December). The first ‘new-style’ Wildlife Enhancement Scheme (WES) moorland template will ensure that Crossgill Farm, part of Moorhouse and Cross Fell Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) near Alston in Cumbria, continues to thrive as a driven grouse moor as well as achieve Government’s wildlife targets.

Said Jake Morley, Moorland Association Committee Member and owner of Garrigill Estate: Everyone involved with the estate is delighted that grouse shooting and upland farming have been recognised as key ingredients to maintain and enhance our heather uplands and the nationally and internationally important bird-life they support. The new agreement means a five year plan that will bring further investment, ensure viable farming and safeguard grouse shooting that contributes enormously to the local rural economy.”

The agreement is the first of its kind in a new initiative to bring moorland SSSIs into favourable management by 2010. Through working together on a site-by-site basis, English Nature conservation officers and grouse moor owners can now draw up plans for sustainable activities such as heather burning, grazing and bracken control to be undertaken together with conservation goals.

Said Simon Stainer, English Nature’s Cumbria Conservation Officer: “Heather moorlands play a wide and vital role in the British uplands. They are important for environmental, social and economic reasons including landscape, recreation, wildlife, as water catchment areas and as carbon stores. Remaining as effective agricultural businesses and sustainable driven grouse moors, as well as achieving ‘favourable condition’ in conservation terms is essential for future generations. Contd/2

Thriving Uplands/2


“I am particularly pleased that the Crossgill agreement has been able to incorporate sporting and agricultural use with careful management of moorland. For example burning is restricted where vegetation is most sensitive and drains in deep peat will be blocked where damaging blanket bog. Looking ahead, this WES template sets the scene for future agreements with Natural England.”

Britain has 75% of the world’s remaining heather moorland habitat but after the Second World War 200,000 acres were lost due to overgrazing, afforestation and neglect. Research shows that where management for grouse shooting is still active, heather is saved. Moorland Association members, who manage and own moorland in England and Wales primarily for grouse shooting, have fought hard to halt heather decline and have regenerated thousands of acres.

On Crossgill Farm on Garrigill Estate, a sheep housing system to over-winter 500 sheep has already been built to reduce grazing pressure during sensitive winter months and help improve 2000 acres of heather. In addition over 80 acres of heather have been re-seeded and a further gamekeeper employed. The land managed for grouse shooting already supports significant numbers of the rare Black Grouse, which has its English stronghold in the North Pennines as well as Merlin, Golden Plover, Lapwing and Curlew.

-Ends-