Environmental Audit Committee let Natural England off the hook about enforcing law on Walshaw Moor Estate

The House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee took oral evidence on wildlife crime on Wednesday 16 May 2012, as part of its audit of “how effectively the Environment Agency and Natural England enforce laws about wildlife crime.”

From the transcript, the audit seems pretty lax. The MPs’ superficial questions failed to focus in adequate detail on whether Natural England has effectively enforced wildlife protection laws on Walshaw Moor Estate (WME).

As a result, the European Commission is the next port of call for organisations and individuals who want to investigate whether Natural England has acted unlawfully, in failing to provide adequate conservation protection to the Walshaw Moor Estate Site of Special Scientific Interest and Natura 2000 site.
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MEP checks out damaged blanket bog

Dodging the odd rainstorm the  LibDem MEP for Yorkshire and Humberside, Rebecca Taylor, today walked to the blanket bog on Walshaw Moor with Ban the Burn campaigners, to see for herself how draining and burning have damaged this valuable habitat.

Rebecca Taylor MEP (left) hearing about the Ban the Burn campaign from Keith Wilson and Dongria Kondh

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Press release – Ban the Burn!

Please distribute and publish this press release as widely as possible.

On Sunday  August 12th, flood-hit residents of Hebden Bridge and campaigners from across the country will set out from St George’s Square in the town centre on a BAN THE BURN protest walk to the Walshaw Moor grouse-shooting estate. Following the walk, at 6pm the BAN THE BURN national campaign launch will take place at Hebden Bridge Trades Club.
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£2.5m uplands agreement seems to sidestep Burning Code

Walshaw Moor Estate Ltd (WME) is to receive a publicly-funded subsidy payment of £2,504,668.08, over the 10 year period of its Environmental Stewardship Agreement with Natural England.  Starting from June 2012, the Agreement  -Number  AG00410821 – covers 3,486.1 hectares and commits WME to carrying out a range of environmental management measures.

From Natural England website

Why is Natural England allowing WME to burn blanket bog, when the Burning Code strongly advocates a ban on burning this habitat?

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