The Moorland Association 1986-Present

In just 20 years, from its inception by a small group of concerned individuals, the Moorland Association has grown to a 200-strong membership organisation, which is consulted by Government, their agencies and other bodies on almost every issue that affects the Uplands in England and Wales. Its members are responsible for more than 750,000 acres of the remaining 800,000 acres of heather moorland south of the Scottish border. This forms an internationally recognised habitat for wildlife and one that, due to the efforts of owners, is on the increase for the first time since the 1950's.

Some Moorland Association Achievements

• In May 2008 a new chairman was appointed to take overall responsibility for the direction and activities of the Moorland Association.

  Edward Bromet, a partner at Wrigley's firm of solicitors in Leeds, has been an active MA member since 2001 and has served as the association's representative for the South Pennine moors.

  As one of the owner, he has successfully continued the management of the 4,500 acres of Bingley, Burley and Hawksworth Moors as a grouse shooting enterprise for the last 12 years.

  "I am committed to the future of our heather uplands and their wildlife and am delighted to have been elected Chairman of the Moorland Association," said Mr Bromet.

  He added that in recent years moorland management for red grouse shooting has demonstrated its contribution to biodiversity, climate change mitigation, landscape value, access and recreation and the rural economy - a contribution now recognised by Government, its agencies and other upland landowners.

  Mr Bromet said Moorland Association members would continue to regenerate areas of heather moorland under threat and optimise management techniques to fulfil the many demands on this globally rare habitat, using revenue created by driven grouse shooting.

• In 1999, the Association was primarily responsible, with ADAS and MAFF, for obtaining European Objective 5b funding for, and directing, a £4.6 million, three year Northern Upland Moorland Regeneration Project (NUMRP), to regenerate and sustain over 185,000 acres of heather moorland. This highly successful project created a prototype for future rural regeneration schemes. To date moorland in the South Pennines has benefitted from a similar scheme and the Moorland Association continues to push for a Welsh scheme.
• By the year 2000 the overall loss of heather moorland in England and Wales had been halted and the decline reversed, with 160,000 acres of heather having been successfully regenerated. Much of the cost for this was borne by private investment from members, and this continues to this day.
• The important role played by the Moorland Association in upland conservation is widely recognised by Government, Nature Conservation and other representative bodies. In 2000, the Association negotiated and signed with English Nature a Memorandum of Understanding for the future management of heather moorland; annual meetings at chief executive level review progress.
• The Association was also heavily involved with the re-negotiations of open access agreements for Peak District National Park members in 2000.
• The Association is represented on the National Countryside Access Forum and in 2001 formed with English Nature The Moorland Access Advisory Group, to influence the implementation of open access to best protect moorland flora and fauna. A significant product of this Group's work was the Moorland Visitor's Code.
• The Moorland Association played a part in instigating and then supporting the RSPB and Game Conservancy Trust sponsored Tharme report to study effects of moorland management on breeding wader populations. The findings, published April 2001, prove that the management of heather moorland for grouse is of equal benefit to a number of important breeding waders. Five times more golden plover and lapwing and twice as many curlew breed on moors managed for grouse, when compared with unmanaged moors.
• To inform the ongoing debate on heather burning, the Moorland Association formed with English Nature in 2002 the Best Practice Moorland Burning Group. Composed of English Nature's conservationists and scientists and of managers and practitioners from the moors, the group has provided a valuable forum to bring together scientific theory and practical experience.
• The Association has been represented on the DEFRA Stakeholder Panel for its 2005 Review of the Heather and Grass Etc. (Burning) Regulations 1986 and the Heather and Grass Burning Code 1994 in England.
• Every National Park and AONB committee in the North of England now has representation from the Moorland Association as primary land users.
• SSSI designations came into existence at about the time that the Association was formed. Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas have followed, and the Moorland Association has been consulted in their implementation. It has been the Association's role to ensure that the Agencies making these designations fully understand the importance of traditional heather moorland management in creating and maintaining the habitat, and providing protection for rare ground nesting birds.
• By working in partnership with the Environment Agency, Utilities, DEFRA and others, members have explored and successfully piloted safe methods to prevent the spread of bracken into heather moorland. The Association seeks to encourage the continued control of bracken through subsidies.
• The Moorland Association was represented on the Stakeholder Working Group advising Defra in its Review of Agricultural Use and Management of Common Land. The Association was able to contribute its unique understanding of upland commons and can take credit for the inclusion of many sensible provisions in the resulting Commons Bill.
• Lobbying by the Moorland Association and others resulted in a change of Forestry Commission policy; it has now halted block-planting Sitka spruce on pristine heather moorland. In many areas moorland owners are felling the forestry blocks, and the land is now being managed to encourage a return to heather.
• The Moorland Association contributed substantially during the consultation and passage through Parliament of the Countryside and Rights Of Way Act. It sought above all to achieve properly managed access, which would satisfy the public need, while at the same time protecting nature conservation and the livelihoods of those who lived and worked on the moors. The Moorland Association helped win the right for owners to ban dogs from grouse moors for up to five years, to limit the disturbance to grouse and other ground nesting birds.
• Fire plans, drawn up by members, in consultation with local fire brigades, are now in place for most moors in England. These seek to ensure swift and efficient fire fighting ability to prevent wide-scale and long-term destruction of moorland by fire.
• The North York Moors and the Trough of Bowland continue to develop strategies to help eradicate the lethal sheep and grouse disease of Louping Ill. NUMRP Objective 5b money helped fund this work in the North York Moors.
• Through representation on the Raptor Forum, and by continuing discussion and pressure, the Association is attempting to work with Government agencies and wildlife charities to resolve the problem of raptor persecution.