Hands Off Hartlebury Common

#67: Steve McCarron - Re: Re: hands off hartlebury common

Hi Steve.

Some of your correspondents mirror NE in their research,science and motivation.

I do not intend to dwell but would ask readers to understand that heathland is one of the Worlds rarest ecosystems(as many state) and that,in that context,NE do that ecosystem a huge disservice in concentrating on human 'constructs' whilst not resourcing/protecting the few self sustaining,natural heathlands that exist from prehistory in England.In essence NE propound a part truth.Heathland is rare BUT NOT the heathland they attend to.

NE are SO expert they denied the existence of natural,self sustaining,heathland until I took the issue to Jim Paice who confirmed I was correct.

The problem?In the words of SB Chapman(World renowned heathland researcher)"self sustaining heathland should never be grazed" but NE in not accounting for this World rarity in their HLS handbook expose it to grazing and degradation by default and ignorance.

A World rarity(mostly on coasts and at elevation) exposed to degradation by self professed experts that prefer agendas and financial rewards to surveying,studying and preserving what may the last wild environment in England.

Further,Johnstone in his Antrim Chough study stated that grazing to aid Choughs would degrade coastal heathland but NE encourage it.

McNanch in his Red Billed Chough claimed a greater correlation between the decline and recovery of Rabbits and the decline and recovery of the Chough than the grazing of domestic stock.So why graze?

Perhaps small,but a very damaging agenda that is driven by grazing,money and NOT best practise.

An NE senior manager told myself,Craig Weatherhill and Ian McNeil Cooke that they would be considered successful if all they did was put money into the rural economy(they actually meant farmers).

MY POINT.

Those that question yourself should take the same tack with NE to expose the full truth rather than assuming that NE's truth is THE truth.NE deny succession and freely promote suspension at the cost of our global environment and in the promotion of an international industry that is,perhaps,a greater beneficiary than the biodiversity they freely market as their objective.