UKH

Campaigners opposed to driven grouse shooting have welcomed news that the NT is to end the lease of one of its grouse moors following accusations that the tenant was illegally killing raptors.

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In reply to UKH News:

A small step in the right direction. A brave thing for them to do would be to look for an alternative management NOT including shooting, as the management of grouse moors is inherently problematic from a conservation and landscape perspective, even if it's being done "correctly"

In reply to UKH News:

Excellent news and definitely a step in the right direction. The management of heather moorland for grouse shooting is completely incompatible with conservstion. What's more infuriating is that some of the wealthiest people in the country receive £56 a hectare to drain, slash and burn the moorland to keep it looking the way it does. In my area the next target group of landowners should be Yorkshire Water who lease the shooting rights to syndicates.

In reply to UKH News: This isn't intended to be a joke or provocative question, but without 'management' by shooting parties or sheep what would 'virgin' moorland look like?

In reply to wbo:

Well, if we were to stop the process of agricultural grazing and the intensive micro-management of heather, we would over time see more and more tree/saplings and dwarf shrubs appear, which in turn would give way to the re-establishment of native woodland across the moors. A canopy would then lead to a decline in heather and bracken coverage and the very slow development of a 'traditional' forest floor.

This would however take a very long time but is the basic idea behind the natural direction the landscape would take. To put it simply, there'd be a bit more diversity!

In reply to UKH News:

Small step in the right direction.