Some of my Letters to the Editor triggered/provoked by Simon Barnes – from raptors to moors to food to planning

Moorland moneyNovember 16 2011

Grouse shooting involves large sums of money but that money is badly needed in managing the upland heather moorlandsSir, Simon Barnes is right to turn his binoculars on to those who persecute raptors (Wild Notebook, Nov 12), and where hard evidence of this occurs, every effort must be made to find the perpetrators. What does worry me is that his suppositions are drawn from a scientific paper that used Google Earth and feedback from local raptor groups; the former perhaps out of date and the latter perhaps with a vested interest in making life uncomfortable for some moor owners.Grouse shooting may involve large sums of money but that money is badly needed in managing the upland heather moorlands of which the UK is home to 75 per cent of the global resource. These same hills should also be enjoyed by those “going for a nice walk”. But as walkers may not contribute directly to the upkeep of these areas, we must then allow landowners to manage these moors as viable, sustainable sporting resources — with great benefits for other wildlife — while ensuring that we expose those who show apathy towards any form of illegal practice.Rob Yorke Abergavenny, Monmouthshire

Simon Barnes’s thrill at seeing his buzzards in East Anglia is understandable (Wild Notebook, Mar 9).March 14 2013Sir, Lindsay Waddell (letter, Mar 13), could have been more compelling on the science supporting his group’s claim that its work benefits conservation. The ten-year Langholm Moor project is looking at solutions for the raptor-grouse moor impasse, along with biodiversity enhancement. The science of the Game Wildlife and Conservation Trust, with support of the RSPB, is relying on the skills of keepers in the management of the project.There are two raptor-related e-petitions running with gamekeepers in their sights, but we must not rush into over-regulation to discover that both upland conservation and viable rural enterprises suffer.Rob Yorke Abergavenny, Monmouthshire

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Unaffordable food

November 7 2013

The solutions to the problems of the environment may well end up causing more problems, particularly for those managing on lower incomesSir, The 8.5 per cent fall in spending on all food since 2005-07 is of concern (“Fruit and veg left on shelf as families try to cut costs”, Nov 4) if we wish to have a countryside described by Simon Barnes as “a nice place of everywhere, one that works for everyone” (Wild Notebook, Nov 2).Rural economists have used data from the National Ecosystem Assessment to discover that if we fully invested in natural capital via better management of soils, biodiversity water and carbon emissions, it would undoubtedly raise food production costs and add to prices. This may be a sustainable solution for the environment but a potentially unsustainable one for those on lower incomes.Rob YorkeAbergavenny, Monmouthshire

Silence of the lambs

March 28 2014

The proposal to construct a racetrack on moorland in South Wales will be a blow to biodiversitySir, National planning guidance policy is not influenced by particular cases of local planners weighing up the demands of communities with a need to protect biodiversity as set out within their adopted plan (Simon Barnes, Wild Notebook, Mar 22)The urge to continue building on Olympic successes may not be directly felt here in South Wales but a large swathe of moorland, adjacent to the Brecon Beacons National Park, has been earmarked for a motor racetrack as part of the economic regeneration of nearby severely deprived Merthyr Tydfil (News, Mar 22).The area has plenty of skylarks singing on it and perhaps now is the time to be braver in exploring how biodiversity offsetting might enable progress of much needed development without trashing wildlife habitat.Rob YorkeAbergavenny, Monmouthshire

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