The Merlin is an iconic upland bird which might suffer from inappropriate moorland management. Photo: Steve Young (www.birdsonfilm.com)

Vital Uplands, published today (12 November) by Natural England, sets out a vision of how our uplands should be in 50 years time. It details how the vision can be realised through sustainable management.

The vision is one of thriving upland communities supporting a range of activities including wildlife tourism, sport and green energy. Uplands should provide clean water, sustainable supplies of food, wood and other materials, while at the same time reducing risks of flooding and wildfire.

The report details many changes which will be necessary, including:

• Stabilising soil, to improve carbon absorption
• Ensuring a diversity of habitats through good management
• Improving grazing systems
• Increasing woodland cover
• Providing renewable energy
• Promoting low-carbon businesses

Natural England’s Acting Chairman, Poul Christensen said: “Our Vision is the starting point for a dialogue we want to have with upland stakeholders up and down the country about how we can all work together to shape the future of the uplands. Working with partners and stakeholders we want to explore ways in which hill farmers and other upland land managers can deliver a wider range of environmental services that will put them and upland communities onto a more sustainable and economically successful footing”.

The Moorland Association has hit out at Vital Uplands, saying that it threatens open heather moorland as we know it. The document, they say, encourages the cessation of traditional land management techniques like heather burning and grazing, which will lead to the encroachment of trees and scrub.

They say that vulnerable populations of the Merlin, Britain’s smallest bird of prey, will have problems nesting if breeding sites become covered by trees and scrub. Burning promotes the healthy regeneration of heather moorland and reducing the frequency over which burning currently takes place will reduce its nutritional value for Red Grouse and grazing animals like cattle and sheep.

Martin Gillibrand, Secretary of The Moorland Association, said: “The integrated management of rotation heather burning and carefully balanced sheep grazing, has protected our heather moorland from disappearing for at least the last century. As a result, much of this rare habitat in England has more recently become protected by law for its unique vegetation and birdlife. To make policy changes that will destroy what is protected now, is not legal and will not lead to the benefits claimed by Natural England.”

See: Natural England press release