New regulations are to be brought in to prevent the burning of heather and other vegetation in a bid to better protect peatlands.
The plans to bring forward legislation for protected blanket bog habitats have been welcomed as ‘vital’ for ‘globally important’ land.
But the ban will be considered a blow to gamekeepers and to grouse shoots, which burn older heather to make way for younger, more nutritious plants for grouse to feed on.
The Moorland Association has also warned its members will be concerned as heather-burning remains a ‘vital tool’ but Defra has said the regulations will include some exemptions.
The UK has 13 per cent of the world’s blanket bog – a type of peatland – and restoring such land will help reach the target of net zero carbon emissions by 2050, as well as protecting valuable habitats and the biodiversity they support, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said.
Under the regulations, the burning of any specified vegetation on areas of deep peat – more than 40cm in depth – on a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) that is also a Special Area of Conservation or a Special Protection Area will be prevented.
Heather burning to be banned under new regulations set to be brought in to protect peat land. Pictured: gamekeeper checks flames as heather is kept young and tidy by a controlled burn
Ban considered a blow to grouse shoots and gamekeepers who burn heather to improve habitat for grouse
Licences can be issued for burning as a means of wildfire prevention, a conservation purpose or where land is inaccessible to cutting or mowing machinery, and the ban will not apply to steep or particularly rocky land.
Some environmental groups said the legislation does not go far enough and argued that all burning, which they called an ‘outdated and damaging’ practice, should be banned.
Environment Secretary George Eustice said: ‘Our peatlands have great potential as a natural store of carbon, as well as protecting habitats, providing a haven for rare wildlife and being a natural provider of water regulation.
‘We want to work with landowners to restore the natural hydrology of many of these sites through our new agricultural policy to support our ambitions for the environment.’
Welcoming the announcement, Natural England chairman Tony Juniper said it will mean ‘better protections for our globally important peatlands’, describing them as ‘an amazing habitat that provides essential environmental benefits’.
He said Natural England will work with Defra and land managers by providing advice on good upland management as well as leading a new peatland restoration grant scheme to fund restoration work on the ‘precious ecosystems’.
The Wildlife Trusts’ chief executive Craig Bennett called for a total ban and criticised the length of time it had taken the Government to make the latest announcement.
He said: ‘Why does the ban only apply to some of our designated peatlands? It should apply to them all.’
Grouse need young heather with tender, green shoots for feeding and older taller heather in which to shelter. Gamekeepers boost grouse numbers by burning small areas of old heather
He suggested blocking ditches and helping peat become wet again is a viable alternative to burning, in a bid to prevent the spread of wildfires on dry ground.
He added: ‘It will be extremely embarrassing if we are still burning any of our peatlands when the climate conference meets at the end of the year.’
Guy Shrubsole, policy and campaigns coordinator at Rewilding Britain, welcomed the legislation as ‘good news’ but added that there are ‘some glaring loopholes that need closing’.
He said: ‘Our moorlands could be much wilder, richer environments bursting with wildlife, if upland estates move away from these outdated and damaging practices (burning) and embrace rewilding.’
The Countryside Alliance has thrown support behind Defra’s proposals and praised the possibilities for exemptions in the plans.
A statement published on its website reads: ‘Blanket bog is a landscape of international importance, and land managers will continue to work with Natural England to protect it.
‘But the Alliance does not believe legislation is necessary to achieve that protection.
‘We are delighted that Defra has listened to evidence, recognising the important role that controlled burning has to play both in preventing wildfires and for conservation, where other practices are not possible.’
The Moorland Association, whose members look after more than one million acres of moorland, said landowners ‘will be concerned over the impact new legislation and further restrictions may have on their important conservation work’.
Director Amanda Anderson described heather-burning as a ‘vital tool for moor owners and managers who are heavily involved in peatland restoration and tackling climate change’.
She said the organisation is glad the Government has ‘recognised that controlled winter burning has a part to play in certain circumstances’ and that they look forward to further detail around licences.
Defra said the plans will come before Parliament for approval before coming into force.