Facts About Moorland Management

I've been reading a good deal of news from the traditional UK print media and newer "social" media about the "evils" of moorland land management practices on the North York Moors.

And apparently, the evil in the Countryside is all due to management of the land in the interests of toffee-nosed Aristo's and billionaire Saudi Oil Princes who want to shoot Grouse round here.

North York Moors National Park.

I've decided to put a little blog post together in response to some of the wilder claims I read in the Guardian Newspaper this week.

Disclaimer

For the record, I am not associated in any way with the Estates where Grouse shooting occurs on the North York Moors (or anywhere else in the UK).

I do not shoot Grouse myself.

I was born and bred on the North York Moors.

I am deeply concernd about the employment and economic implications, and the negative environmental implications of the move to ban Grouse Shooting on the North York Moors.

Red Grouse are Common on the North York Moors.

False Claim 1 (all claims made in the UK Guardian Newspaper).
To shoot grouse you have to be exceedingly rich.  It costs around £7,000 per person per day.

FACT
Shooting on the Danby Estate around Rosedale can be done for as little as £1,550 per day. That includes all transport and a full days catering.

False Claim 2
The owners of grouse moors…justify these fees by ensuring that there are vast numbers of birds to shoot.

FACT
The highest allowable number of Grouse available to shoot on Danby Moors near Rosedale on any given day in August 2016 is 125 brace; falling to 80 brace later in November.

False Claim 3
This requires, across great tracts of our uplands, the elimination of almost everything else.

FACT
Maintaining Grouse Moors around Rosedale as part of the North York Moors National Park ensures the survival of a vast number of other rare and endangered ground-nesting bird species (Curlew, Lapwing, Snipe, Larks, etc); as well as ground dwelling animals (snakes, slow worms, voles, mice, etc).

Without Grouse, there would be no economic incentive for landowners to protect ALL the other species which benefit from protection and preservation of Grouse Moors on the North York Moors.

The North York Moors are an internationally recognized sanctuary for rare bird life, plant life and animals of many types.

Land Management on the Moors Protects Dozens of Rare Species of Birdlife.

False Claim 4
Grouse are wild birds (true), but cosseted at the expense of other life forms.

FACT
Grouse are a niche species relying on the unique Moorland heather of the North York Moors for their survival.

Without active protection, the habitat of the upland Moors would quite rapidly see changes; with the replacement of heather by open woodlands and heath species.

All ground-nesting species of birds, our unique upland flora, and many species of animals would then become rarer than they are today.

Without moorland heather, Grouse would become extinct as heather is the young birds only food source.

False Claim 5

Predators and competitors must be eliminated, either legally or, in the case of protected species such as peregrine falcons, golden eagles, red kites and hen harriers, illegally.

FACT
Some vermin species like rats and feral cats are trapped; to the benefit of ALL ground nesting birdlife and wildlife on the North York Moors.

There is no evidence that Land Managers on the North York Moors are systematically killing protected species.

The North York Moors Provide Habitat for a Rich Diversity of  Lifeforms.

False Claim 6
Producing as many grouse as possible also means burning and draining the land, to create a monoculture of the young heather the birds eat. This releases the carbon in the soil, pollutes rivers and helps to flood the towns downstream.

FACT
Less than 5% of Moorland is burned on an annual cycle of controlled burning in the cooler months of the year. And, the burns are done in very small patches to produce a mosaic of burned ground, new growth and mature cover. This actually creates a very divers range of ecological niches which are of benefit for a wider range of bird, animal, and plantlife.

Without controlled burning, the Moors would be subjected to an increasing number of uncontrolled and devestating summer wildfires.

Controlled Burning makes  a Patchwork of  New Growth &  Established Vegitation.

Wildfires tend to be “deep burning”; destroying the underlying peaty soils completely and taking many, many years for the ecology to recover.

They can also destroy vast tracts of open moorland at one time – rather than the tiny 5% patchwork of burns which are performed annually now.

Moreover, the peaty soils of the Moors are actually preserved by management for Grouse; and they act as a giant sponge – helping to PREVENT lowland flooding.

To claim otherwise is simply ridiculous.

What Can you Do Now?

1. Repost or tweet this blog post on your social media accounts to show your support for established countryside land management that looks after the wilder parts of our Country and creates a lot of local jobs for country people.

2. Refuse to sign any petitions calling for the banning of Grouse Shooting.

3. Write to your MP to show your support for sustainable moorland land management practices.