Claims of illegal peat burning on grouse moors being investigated

THE Government has launched a peatland burning investigation after nearly 200 suspected illegal fires were reported on grouse moors.

The environment department has embarked on the first major inquiry into potentially illegal fires since a new law banned landowners from burning on blanket bog with deep peat, after reports of rules being flouted.

Environmental groups said data suggested dozens of fires had been set on grouse moors, with 191 “suspected illegal” burns reported to the campaign group Wild Moors.

Grouse moor managers carry out controlled burning of heather on peatland during winter months to stimulate new growth of the plants, which red grouse can feed on, and say their methods do not harm the peat underneath.

But conservationists say burning peatland destroys vegetation, erodes peat and reduces its ability to prevent flooding in the valleys below. The ban came in last May to stop burning in pro- tected areas of England without a licence. There are exemptions for rocky or sloping ground.

An eight-month investigation by Unearthed, Greenpeace’s investigative journalism team, identified 251 fires set over the burning season, of which 51 were potentially illegal.

The numbers are based on the locations of reported fires lit without a licence in nature sites protected by conservation designations and identified by government agency Natural England’s of which took place on areas mapped as deep peat and in a designated site.

Dr Patrick Thompson, senior policy officer at RSPB UK, said: “It’s clear from the evidence we have collected that the new peatland burning regulations in England are not working and that burning is taking place at a massive scale on peatland vegetation and inside protected sites.”

The Moorland Association, which represents grouse moor estates, said the investigation showed most controlled burns complied with legislation, and checks found only two incidents which may have been on deep peat.

Amanda Anderson, the director of the Moorland Association, said: “We are confident our members are compliant and following best practice guidelines.

“The Fire and Rescue Service supports controlled burning on moorland for the prevention of wildfire, the single most serious threat to the carbon store.”

A Defra spokesman said: “We are investigating potential breaches of the heather and peat burning regulations and cannot comment further.” maps as deep peat, though these are based on modelling and do not conclusively mean there is deep peat there. The RSPB said it had received 272 reports of fires over the last season, 79

251

The number of fires identified over burning season in an investigation by Greenpeace, of which 51 were potentially illegal