Natural England is to investigate a grouse-shooting estate’s recent burning of sphagnum moss and apparently unconsented construction of infrastructure on the highly-protected Natura 2000 site of Walshaw Moor, above Hebden Bridge. Walshaw Moor Estate has undertaken these actions in order … Continue reading
• Grouse moor burning is now banned on blanket bog • The burning season started on 1st October and runs until 15th April • Please report all burning you see to Valerie.Wheeler@RSPB.org.uk – if possible with photos, videos and location … Continue reading
Grouse moor owners and their allies claim heather burning on peatland is necessary for habitat restoration and reduction of wildfire risk. The RSPB’s management of Geltsdale reserve in Cumbria shows that this is not the case.
The moors above Hebden Bridge are some of Yorkshire’s most iconic beauty spots – and also a vital source of biodiversity, a huge natural carbon sink and a natural means of slowing the flow of pluvial flooding into the Upper … Continue reading
As is by now widely known, Walshaw Moor Estate’s annual burning on the protected “Natura 2000” uplands creates an increased risk of flooding in Calder Valley towns. This is responsible for around 2.5-5% of the peak flow in Hebden Bridge … Continue reading
A new modelling study and investigation into how annual burning on the Walshaw Moor Estate (WME) may affect high river flows in Hebden Bridge has shown that the most effective way of managing the moors in order to reduce the … Continue reading
Members of Upper Calderdale Wildlife Group, who monitor Walshaw Moor Estate’s “management” of protected blanket bog for its intensive grouse shooting business, reported on 16 February that they had a few hours up Walshaw, and saw that heather burning was … Continue reading
Today Halifax MP Linda Riordan welcomed Andy Burnham, Shadow Secretary of State for Health, to a meeting of around 50 Save Calderdale and Huddersfield A&E campaigners. This was an opportunity for campaigners to hear his views of the proposal to … Continue reading
Hebden Bridge flood activist group Ban the Burn has raised two cheers for Natural England’s new guidance that restoration of all degraded blanket bog is possible and that landowners should phase out blanket bog burning because of the damage it … Continue reading
The EU Commission has invited Hebden Bridge campaigners to comment on findings from the first stage of its investigation into Natural England’s 2012 management agreement and Higher Level Stewardship agreement with Walshaw Moor Estate Ltd (WMEL). Both agreements cover Walshaw … Continue reading