Latest news with #MoorlandAssociation
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Wildfires are ‘disaster waiting to happen', farmers warn
Farmers have warned that wildfires are a 'disaster waiting to happen' as a third heatwave looms. The Met Office has issued seven red 'very high' UV alerts ahead of the third heatwave in four weeks. Temperatures are expected to climb into the low 30s again from Wednesday into next week, following the UK's warmest spring on record and driest for more than 50 years. Gareth Wyn Jones, a sheep farmer and campaigner from Llanfairfechan, has sounded the alarm over the threat of wildfires on arid UK farmland. He told The Telegraph: 'Of course we are fearful, we've got mountains like tinder boxes and no one listens.' Mr Wyn Jones, whose family have farmed in Wales for over 370 years, said the incentivised removal of grazing sheep from upland areas was creating a dangerous build-up of dry vegetation. 'They don't understand that ruminants keep these areas from burning,' he said, adding: 'It's a disaster waiting to happen. 'Steve Reed [the Secretary of State for Environment and Rural Affairs] wants to clear animals from the uplands and give more money to help wildfires.' Natural England, the Government's nature watchdog, has been incentivising farmers to remove animals to protect wildlife and prevent overgrazing, leading to sheep numbers in England falling by 7 per cent in the last two years. The Moorland Association has estimated that there are now 600,000 tons of extra vegetation being left on the land each year. Earlier this year, Andrew Gilruth, the association's chief executive, said that 'sooner or later there will be a strong wind blowing the wrong way with our northern cities most at risk', adding: 'It may happen under Angela Rayner's watch.' In March, fire crews tackling a moorland fire in Cumbria said that the 'fire loading' of dead vegetation was 'increasing the risk of wildfire'. By April, more than 29,200 hectares (292sq km) of land had been scorched by wildfires, according to satellite imagery from the Global Wildfire Information System. This was already higher than the total for any year since the researchers started recording data in 2012. Last week, a wildfire broke out in the Shropshire Hills, prompting homes and businesses to be evacuated while farmers tackled the blaze. In 2023 the cost of farm fires in the UK increased by 37 per cent to an estimated £110.3 million, according to NFU Mutual's latest data. Rachel Hallos, the NFU vice-president, said wildfires were 'a serious threat to the countryside'. She told The Telegraph: 'We can see how fast these fires can spread, putting both people and animals at risk and destroying valuable crops, grassland and infrastructure. 'Farmers are on the front line of this crisis, but we can't tackle this alone. It's vital that government and fire services work with us on prevention, education and response and urgently review whether some changes in land management – particularly in the uplands – could be increasing wildfire risk as hotter, drier summers become more frequent.' Ms Hallos urged all those enjoying the countryside this summer to do their part in abiding by the Countryside Code, avoiding open fires and reporting any signs of fire immediately. 'Protecting our farmland means protecting our food, our environment and our rural way of life,' she added. The Met Office's definition of a heatwave is three consecutive days of temperatures exceeding the 'heatwave threshold' for that part of the country. For most of the UK, this is 25C, with slightly higher numbers for the South and East, rising to 28C in London. Dan Holley, the deputy chief meteorologist, said that 'this heatwave is likely to last longer than previous ones so far this summer and affect a wider area'. He explained that high pressure from the Atlantic would 'gradually exert influence over the UK this week', with temperatures building from 28C on Wednesday, to 30C on Thursday to 32C on Friday. 'By this stage, heatwave criteria are likely to be met in parts of England and Wales, and in parts of Scotland over the weekend,' he said, adding: 'High temperatures are likely to persist into the weekend, especially away from coasts with onshore winds, reaching the low 30s in portions of England and Wales, and accompanied by rising humidity and warmer nights.' Waters to the south of the UK are also experiencing a significant marine heatwave, with the conditions expected to persist and intensify over the coming week. A spokesman for the National Fire Chiefs Council told The Telegraph: 'With the long, dry and warm conditions continuing, we will see an increased risk of wildfires. This is especially important in those areas where communities border the countryside and there is greater risk to life and property. 'Effective land management will reduce or at least mitigate some of that risk to those lives and property. This might be done on an individual or community level – for example, with projects like Firewise-UK which encourages communities to work together to reduce their wildfire risk by taking practical steps in the area around the home and garden – or by land managers on a larger scale.'
Telegraph
07-07-2025
- Climate
- Telegraph
Wildfires are ‘disaster waiting to happen', farmers warn
Farmers have warned that wildfires are a 'disaster waiting to happen' as a third heatwave looms. The Met Office has issued seven red 'very high' UV alerts ahead of the third heatwave in four weeks. Temperatures are expected to climb into the low 30s again from Wednesday into next week, following the UK's warmest spring on record and driest for more than 50 years. Gareth Wyn Jones, a sheep farmer and campaigner from Llanfairfechan, has sounded the alarm over the threat of wildfires on arid UK farmland. He told The Telegraph: 'Of course we are fearful, we've got mountains like tinder boxes and no one listens.' Mr Wyn Jones, whose family have farmed in Wales for over 370 years, said the incentivised removal of grazing sheep from upland areas was creating a dangerous build-up of dry vegetation. 'They don't understand that ruminants keep these areas from burning,' he said, adding: 'It's a disaster waiting to happen. 'Steve Reed [the Secretary of State for Environment and Rural Affairs] wants to clear animals from the uplands and give more money to help wildfires.' Natural England, the Government's nature watchdog, has been incentivising farmers to remove animals to protect wildlife and prevent overgrazing, leading to sheep numbers in England falling by 7 per cent in the last two years. The Moorland Association has estimated that there are now 600,000 tons of extra vegetation being left on the land each year. Earlier this year, Andrew Gilruth, the association's chief executive, said that 'sooner or later there will be a strong wind blowing the wrong way with our northern cities most at risk', adding: 'It may happen under Angela Rayner's watch.' In March, fire crews tackling a moorland fire in Cumbria said that the 'fire loading' of dead vegetation was 'increasing the risk of wildfire'. By April, more than 29,200 hectares (292sq km) of land had been scorched by wildfires, according to satellite imagery from the Global Wildfire Information System. This was already higher than the total for any year since the researchers started recording data in 2012. Last week, a wildfire broke out in the Shropshire Hills, prompting homes and businesses to be evacuated while farmers tackled the blaze. In 2023 the cost of farm fires in the UK increased by 37 per cent to an estimated £110.3 million, according to NFU Mutual's latest data. Rachel Hallos, the NFU vice-president, said wildfires were 'a serious threat to the countryside'. She told The Telegraph: 'We can see how fast these fires can spread, putting both people and animals at risk and destroying valuable crops, grassland and infrastructure. 'Farmers are on the front line of this crisis, but we can't tackle this alone. It's vital that government and fire services work with us on prevention, education and response and urgently review whether some changes in land management – particularly in the uplands – could be increasing wildfire risk as hotter, drier summers become more frequent.' Ms Hallos urged all those enjoying the countryside this summer to do their part in abiding by the Countryside Code, avoiding open fires and reporting any signs of fire immediately. 'Protecting our farmland means protecting our food, our environment and our rural way of life,' she added. The Met Office's definition of a heatwave is three consecutive days of temperatures exceeding the 'heatwave threshold' for that part of the country. For most of the UK, this is 25C, with slightly higher numbers for the South and East, rising to 28C in London. Dan Holley, the deputy chief meteorologist, said that 'this heatwave is likely to last longer than previous ones so far this summer and affect a wider area'. He explained that high pressure from the Atlantic would 'gradually exert influence over the UK this week', with temperatures building from 28C on Wednesday, to 30C on Thursday to 32C on Friday. 'By this stage, heatwave criteria are likely to be met in parts of England and Wales, and in parts of Scotland over the weekend,' he said, adding: 'High temperatures are likely to persist into the weekend, especially away from coasts with onshore winds, reaching the low 30s in portions of England and Wales, and accompanied by rising humidity and warmer nights.' Waters to the south of the UK are also experiencing a significant marine heatwave, with the conditions expected to persist and intensify over the coming week. A spokesman for the National Fire Chiefs Council told The Telegraph: 'With the long, dry and warm conditions continuing, we will see an increased risk of wildfires. This is especially important in those areas where communities border the countryside and there is greater risk to life and property. 'Effective land management will reduce or at least mitigate some of that risk to those lives and property. This might be done on an individual or community level – for example, with projects like Firewise-UK which encourages communities to work together to reduce their wildfire risk by taking practical steps in the area around the home and garden – or by land managers on a larger scale.'
Scotsman
07-05-2025
- General
- Scotsman
'Cherished' moorland the size of Birmingham lost each year - with large chunk in Scotland
The study is the first of its kind mapping out the extent and losses of heather moorland in the UK. Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Vast swathes of heather habitat the size of Birmingham are being lost in Britain each year, according to new figures. The results were shared in a study that, for the first time, quantified the extent of the UK's heather moorland habitat and its historical and potential losses. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A visually stunning display of heather The figures show an estimated 60 per cent of moorland in Britain has been lost in the past 30 years. "Can using fire help protect our beautiful heather moors?", writes Amanda Anderson, director of the Moorland Association | Moorland Association A large chunk (15 per cent) has disappeared from Scotland. Northern Ireland has lost 21 per cent and both Wales and England have lost 7 per cent, according to the study. Authors of the study, which was carried out from 1990 to 2023, said moorlands have been lost or degraded due to overgrazing, undergrazing, commercial afforestation and native woodland expansion. Figures showed moorland was primarily converted to improved grassland (55 per cent), coniferous woodland (34 per cent) and broadleaved woodland (6 per cent). Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad There was, however, significant regional variation, with coniferous woodland a more significant threat than improved grassland in many regions of Scotland, the report said. The decline in this internationally rare habitat is concerning for the wildlife that lives on it, but also communities whose livelihoods depend on sustainable management of heather moorland. The study, Heather Futures, was carried out by The Heather Trust, an organisation initially set up to balance sheep farming and grouse interests on heather moorland in the 1980s. But the body has since evolved to be an advocate for sustainable management and protection of the habitat. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Katrina Candy, director of The Heather Trust, said: 'This is of great concern, not just to The Heather Trust and our members, but to the many people who live and work in the uplands whose livelihoods depends on sustainable moorlands. 'The array of biodiversity that inhabits these special places and society as a whole is entirely dependent on healthy upland eco-systems to provide a wide range of benefits, including clean drinking water and effective carbon sequestration.' Ms Candy said while there was general awareness of heather moorland being under threat, there has been limited data available on changes to the extent and quantity of moorland habitats across the country. It has meant there has been a limited evidence-base for policy makers to consider when looking at the cumulative impact of heather moorland loss. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Ms Candy said the extensive study addressed the evidence gap by identifying the datasets available, which would hopefully shape policy to minimise further impact on upland biodiversity. Ecologist David Jarrett, who led the project, said: 'Our upland habitats are undergoing a period of rapid change driven by changing societal values, climate change and legislation. 'While there are many positives associated with these changes, it's important that we are also aware of the impact of moorland habitat loss on some of our most cherished upland species like curlew and lapwing. These species are declining rapidly in the UK, and are becoming more and more dependent on the predator control associated with managed moorland.' Estimated total losses of moorland between 1990 and 2023 were 609sqkm in England, 6,696sqkm in Scotland, 349sqkm in Wales, and 498sqkm in Northern Ireland. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Targets for woodland expansion across the UK are 30,000 hectares a year, and annual planting rates are much lower.
Yahoo
13-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Labour's war on sheep needs to end
Does Angela Rayner have a beef about lamb? The Deputy Prime Minister has joined the Labour Government's mission to make farmers graze fewer sheep. Having taken over responsibility for wildfires, she has joined Defra in its obsession with reducing livestock emissions to meet Ed Miliband's net zero targets. Sheep numbers have been artificially reduced, causing dry vegetation to accumulate and turning vast tracts of countryside into a tinderbox. Ms Rayner should listen to those who really understand our rural ecology: hill farmers (such as James Rebanks, author of English Pastoral) and the Moorland Association. The latter has appealed to her to halt the campaign against sheep, which is destroying ancient farming practices and making wildfires on the scale of Los Angeles more likely. Seven years ago, wildfires in the Manchester region caused pollution that afflicted millions. Now fire chiefs have warned that conflagrations due to lack of grazing and land management are increasing. This is an environmental and human disaster waiting to happen. The official prejudice against sheep is unwarranted. It seems to be inspired by zealots like George Monbiot, who claim that overgrazing by 'the white plague' has ruined our uplands – ignoring the evidence that sheep-farming has been an integral part of English agriculture for centuries. No less arbitrary is the talk of carbon emissions. Why single out sheep, merely because they are visible, rather than animals kept out of sight on intensive megafarms? On these islands we are particularly good at rearing sheep. Last year, the Welsh flock stood at 8.4 million, or a little over 2.6 sheep per person. Even these prodigious numbers are down from their peak – there were more than 12 million in the 1990s. There remain around 70 per cent more sheep in Wales than the entire United States, a country over 470 times larger. Ovines do very little harm and a great deal of good. Elsewhere, sheep grazing is not seen as a cause of climate change, but a prophylactic against its effects. Ms Rayner should take wildfires seriously, rein in Defra and get behind this British success story. How about lamb for lunch, Deputy Prime Minister? Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
13-04-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Labour's war on sheep needs to end
Does Angela Rayner have a beef about lamb? The Deputy Prime Minister has joined the Labour Government's mission to make farmers graze fewer sheep. Having taken over responsibility for wildfires, she has joined Defra in its obsession with reducing livestock emissions to meet Ed Miliband's net zero targets. Sheep numbers have been artificially reduced, causing dry vegetation to accumulate and turning vast tracts of countryside into a tinderbox. Ms Rayner should listen to those who really understand our rural ecology: hill farmers (such as James Rebanks, author of English Pastoral) and the Moorland Association. The latter has appealed to her to halt the campaign against sheep, which is destroying ancient farming practices and making wildfires on the scale of Los Angeles more likely. Seven years ago, wildfires in the Manchester region caused pollution that afflicted millions. Now fire chiefs have warned that conflagrations due to lack of grazing and land management are increasing. This is an environmental and human disaster waiting to happen. The official prejudice against sheep is unwarranted. It seems to be inspired by zealots like George Monbiot, who claim that overgrazing by 'the white plague' has ruined our uplands – ignoring the evidence that sheep-farming has been an integral part of English agriculture for centuries. No less arbitrary is the talk of carbon emissions. Why single out sheep, merely because they are visible, rather than animals kept out of sight on intensive megafarms? On these islands we are particularly good at rearing sheep. Last year, the Welsh flock stood at 8.4 million, or a little over 2.6 sheep per person. Even these prodigious numbers are down from their peak – there were more than 12 million in the 1990s. There remain around 70 per cent more sheep in Wales than the entire United States, a country over 470 times larger. Ovines do very little harm and a great deal of good. Elsewhere, sheep grazing is not seen as a cause of climate change, but a prophylactic against its effects. Ms Rayner should take wildfires seriously, rein in Defra and get behind this British success story. How about lamb for lunch, Deputy Prime Minister?
