Hands Off Hartlebury Common

BBC Radio 4 Open Country about Conservation Grazing in Cornwall (Score: 1)
by Andy B (andy@megalithic.co.uk) on Monday, 20 September 2010

Helen Mark is in Cornwall to find out why the reintroduction of cattle to graze the Penwith Moors of Cornwall and improve the area's bio-diversity has upset some of the local community. She meets up with archaeologist Craig Weatherhill at the Tregeseal Stone Circle to hear about the damage he says is being caused to these ancient monuments by the horns of the non-native Longhorn breed of cattle being grazed on the moors. Craig also tells Helen about the difficulties faced by horses and their riders from the newly erected gates and fences which they have to pass through.

At Carn Galva, one of Cornwall's most unique and pre-historic landscapes, Helen meets up with Peter Bowden from Natural England and Jon Brookes of the National Trust who explain the reasons for the conservation grazing scheme and how important it is to this ancient landscape. This heathland is of national and international importance and the grazing scheme is intended to open up footpaths the natural way, avoiding the need for heavy machinery and herbicides, and fences and cattle grids have been put there to keep cattle in and not people out. However, when Helen joins Ian Cooke and Steve Yandall of the Save Penwith Moors campaign, she hears about their concerns for the environment and how emotional they felt to have barbed wire fences appearing out on the moors.

But when she arrives at Trengwainton Farm near Penzance, farmer Stephen Bone takes Helen to a part of his land that his father fenced and grazed 40 years ago and which soon became waist high in bracken when the cattle were taken in. Stephen is actually now busy re-fencing his land ready to graze animals there as part of the Conservation Grazing Scheme. He tells Helen that he has offered an olive branch to those opposed to the scheme by suggesting that he take his livestock in during the busy summer months and school holidays.

Finally, Helen meets up with Stephen Warman who has been brought in to try and resolve the situation and to narrow the gap between the two opposing sides. Where do they all go from here in order to manage the moors in the best way for all those who care about this landscape?.

Listen here
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00tjvhj

#1283: steve - Hartlebury Common has very impfessionalortant prehistoric archaeology

Interesting broadcast but!!There are examples of grazing with ponies/cattle over the last decade,Godolphin Hill being one,that clearly exemplify the lack of science relating to the claimed results and its failure.On the named site,despite fire/rolling/flailing and grazing the bracken has spread to the detriment of biodiversity and amenity.Yes I was a part of the broadcast but,in typical style,we were stereotyped as concerned locals(in the BBC news 'dogwalkers')opposing 'professional conservators!This imposition by NE is AN AGENDA not a balanced consideration relating to options and outcomes,best practise and accountability.Sorry but NE are the epitomy of Orwellian living and I cannot see my grandchildrens future compromised by an industrial process designed to homogenise the UK.

Steve Yandall.

Steve,
the emphasis on 'saving' whatever is man made is a huge indictment of our species in the context of a similar emphasis NOT being put on truly wild environments.
I love to see beautiful creations but not at the cost of compromising eco systems.

Biodiversity,in the NE sense,is more to do with the niches man has created to allow natural access than the real bio support structures.The UK species 'carrying capacity',had man not been present,would be a fraction of what it is now but NE have confused what is here with what should be here and created a huge 'guilt'which feeds their existence.NE DO NOT welcome new additions to our 'human eco system species bank'but publicise/mourn the loss of species that have taken advantage of our presence to gain a foothold in the past!A dichotomy they need to account for and a dichotomy that keeps them funded.

The real issues of species depletion are NOT being tackled by NE/DEFRA.Only the issues that feed their agenda.For instance the declaration to HLF(to gain £14m funding)that heathland degradation was accounted for by horse riders/motor cyclists .This justified fencing etc to start the human exclusion process.How different would this have been had NE(EN then)been truthful in admitting that grant aid was totally unaccountable and that little management had been applied to these areas whilst those overseeing the aid failed to make the scheme work by avoiding accountability?Our money being used to bolster the standard of living of a few with NO payback whilst NE blame the public!!!

NE wish to suspend environments.The presence of Bracken/scrub,on heathland, are the indicators of successional movement thus are also indicators of NE's inability to manage the suspension they are targeting.The current trenche of agri/env payments still lack accountability/monitoring thus are no different to past wasted schemes EXCEPT they now wish to exclude large numbers of the public to land they have a right to access.

I have not touched on chemicals/agri practises/land grabbing/population growth etc which are generally unobstructed by the establishment and to which public objections are obstructed!

You are right.To "fuckwits" add sociopathic tendencies!

Steve.