Residents of Hebden Bridge, devastated by moorland run-off in this summer’s floods, join environmental campaigners in the first ever attempt by residents to Ban Bog-Burning on some Red Grouse moors.
Here’s another side of the grouse moor issue, which was the subject of today’s first Guardian Northerner post: environmental campaigners are holding a protest walk this Sunday, 12 August, before launching a national discussion on the management of blanket bogs.
The issue comes close to home for many of those who will take part in the event at Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire, a town which has made regular national headlines this summer because of its devastation by floods. Damage and bog treatment are linked because of the effects of drainage and moorland ‘tidying’ including burning; some of the worst effects of the second flood were caused by run-off sweeping down from the surrounding hills.
Dongria Kondh, one of the walkers, says:
Here in Hebden Bridge we know the real hardship of flooding – shops and businesses in our town are still shut, and many of our friends and neighbours have suffered irreplaceable loss. In order to reduce our town’s vulnerability to flooding, we need the upland catchment to be managed to promote healthy blanket bog, with sphagnum moss to act as a sponge in heavy rainfall events.
It seems grotesque that the taxpayer is paying for the exact opposite – £2.5 million is about five times as much as is in the Calder Valley flood recovery fund. If Walshaw Moor wants public subsidies, it must use them for the public good and completely restore the blanket bogs on its estate.
Request from the campaign organisers- Will those people with video cameras please bring them along to record the days events. Any images obtained by the public can then be donated to form a part of a complete story of the days event.
This could be the best ‘Glorious 12th’ in years. Communities each standing up against the floods caused by moorland mismanagement above where they live. Long live the ‘Upland Vision’!!
People running the campaign are now being intimidated by Natural England. Who do they think pays their wages!! They are running scared for their own jobs. let the ax fall!!
Plantlife should be asked to get behind this campaign.
Here here John, our uplands are a mess grouse shooting is to blame the continued scouring of peat goes on and on over vast areas and what makes it more sickening is the public money thrown at the estates who do not give a damn and the flood cometh.
Death of flora [and fauna] by fire is a world wide natural event.
I certainly noticed a huge rise in the tick population when moor burning stopped.
Biggest carrier of tick here are Roe Deer. Some Red Grouse shoots kill them on site regardless of the season. Why would they bother keeping with the law!!
A ban on controlled burning will result in large tracts of long rank heather, shrubs and grasses which will eventually cause a huge fire risk leading to many thousands of acres being burnt at once. This would have a catastrophic affect on wildlife and the environment for many years. The positives of controlled burning far out way the negatives when managing large areas of moorland such as this, not only for red grouse but also for the whole ecosystem of the area, including any surrounding conurbations.
Norman wrote “….including any surrounding conurbations.”
As parts of Australia have learned the hard way.
Editor’s Comment. DJ, thank you very much for your comment which we have now added to RP as a worthy article, thank you Editor.
When a wildfire breaks out on a heather moorland its generally only the most recent areas of burnt heather which dont burn (or only burn slow enough to enable fire control). These areas are only a small proportion of the burnable moor.
If a moor burns…a moor burns.
Control of the fire is down to the resources that are available on the day…man power, beaters, misters, the wind and natural features.
Conurbations at risk in the UK? You are having a laugh?
I take it you have a lot of experience with heather burning then Circus Maximus?
Yes…both planned and wildfires.
What about the great flood of Dunsop Valley, or have we forgot!
Editor’s Comment, no we have not forgotton, it was the same day in the afternoon. The Dunsop Valley road was closed for six weeks and the locals were collecting dead salmon from the surrounding fields and taking them home to eat.
Not sure I agree with you Circus. Many of the moorland fires (planned and wildfires) I have been involved in controlling have been put out when reaching shorter heather (under 5 years old). This should not be a small proportion of a well managed moor. Moorland tracks are also vital for access to get the manpower and machinery needed on site and also act as excellent firebreaks.
Regarding the flooding situation I think those of us who live in the towns should look to the damage we may be causing to our own environment to reduce the risk. Paved gardens, massive car parks and areas of concrete all cause water to run off at a much faster rate, filling the drains and rivers much quicker.