Wildfire in the Peak District

The Peak District Moorland Group's Facebook page has some images, video clips and other information about the wildfire that occurred on Howden Moor, near Ladybower reservoir,  yesterday.

Anyone wanting to see the devastation to moorland caused by these incidents should have a look at this Facebook page. A click on the photos will enlarge them and give access to the comments added by the Moorland Group - they speak for themselves.

There is an interesting debate about the management of moorland developing in the comments that have been added to Facebook.  The National Trust is being criticised for the lack of heather management but it has also been pointed out that there is no fire without a source of ignition and the three main sources are men, women and children.

Some of the areas of the moor in the photos appear to have been managed recently, probably by burning, and I guess that these areas are on land that is managed for grouse shooting.  The photos show how the fire has not affected these areas.  This is a demonstration of the point that we need to plan for wildfire as part of our management of moorland.  You do not have to shoot grouse to manage moorland properly, and management should include the construction of firebreaks to provide stops for wildfire and also to allow access for firefighting.  Firebreaks will also add vegetation diversity that will increase the value of moorland to a range of plant, bird and animal species.

Firebreaks do not have to be motorways cut or burned in ugly, straight lines across moorland; they can be formed to follow the landscape and add visual diversity.

My work with the England & Wales Wildfire Forum is plagued by short-term memories.  At this time of year, while the smoke is rising, the wildfire challenge appears to be possible to address, but the solutions drift away as soon as the rain starts to fall.  

We should acknowledge the hard graft put in by all those involved in fighting these fires, and the risks that they face.  We must also understand their frustration that with more thought, and better planning, much of this effort would not be necessary.

England: Wildfire in the news

With the outbreak of summer across the country has come a rash of wildfires, and the associated images of fires lighting up the sky and Fire & Rescue Service personnel working in, what for many, are unfamiliar conditions.

It is a great concern that a lot of the fire fighting effort comes as a result of acts of stupidity.  A fire near Ladybower Reservoir was started by a disposable barbecue.  See the Derbyshire Times report.  A member of the firefighting team had to be evacuated by helicopter after their all-terrain vehicle overturned.

Near Darwen, in Lancashire, it is believed that a large wildfire was started by arsonists.  See the report in the Daily Star.

Ilkley Moor also suffered a wildfire, and this was on a steep bank that made it difficult to tackle.  BBC News has a report of this incident.

These incidents prove that wildfire is a real risk, particularly at this time of year. Efforts to raise awareness of the dangers associated with wildfire tend to fall on deaf ears at other times of the year, but we need to learn the lessons about wildfire and make better efforts to plan for them so that we can minimise their impact when they do occur.  It is a certainty that while there are people on our moorland and open spaces, wildfires will continue to occur.

The previous post about wildfire situation in Scotland states that, "We have a forecast of settled dry, warm and at times windy conditions over the next week. We therefore ask people to be vigilant and act responsibly while this period of weather affects the country".  This applies equally to England.

Wildfire Warning across Scotland, this week

The Scottish Wildfire Forum (SWF) is raising awareness about the increased risk of wildfire across most parts of Scotland over the next few days as weather forecasters predict very dry conditions.

Vice Chairman of the Scottish Wildfire Forum, Michael Bruce, monitors the European Commission’s European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) which provides information, which can be used to inform the public about the risk of wildfire.

He said: “At the start of spring there is often a lot of dead vegetation leftover from last year. This fuel can dry out quickly when there are bright sunny days with high temperatures and low humidity levels. We have a high pressure weather system dominating Scotland creating these conditions at the moment.”

We are now well into that time of year when the risk of wildfire is at its highest and The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) is already working closely with land managers and appealing to tourists and communities to help reduce the number fires in a bid to protect the countryside and its residents.

On Saturday, SFRS crews tackled a wildfire which involved a large area of heathland a mile long being fanned by strong winds near the village of Carsphairn in rural Dumfries and Galloway.

SFRS Deputy Assistant Chief Officer, Andy Coueslant, the chairman of the Scottish Wildfire Forum, said raising awareness is key to reducing the risk.

He explained: “We have a forecast of settled dry, warm and at times windy conditions over the next week. We therefore ask people to be vigilant and act responsibly, while this period of weather affects the country.

“Many rural and remote communities are hugely impacted by wildfires, which can cause significant environmental and economic damage.

“Livestock, farmland, wildlife, protected woodland and sites of special scientific interest can all be devastated by these fires, as can the lives of people living and working in rural communities.

“Human behaviour can significantly lower the chance of a wildfire starting so it’s crucial people act safely and responsibly in rural environments and follow the countryside code.”

The public can help prevent wildfires by making sure they dispose of litter and smoking materials carefully while in rural areas. Land managers are reminded that the legal period for Muirburn ended on 30 April.

For further advice and information about wildfires and what we can all do to prevent them visit our website www.firescotland.gov.uk

The Graze the Moor Project - Molland Moor, Exmoor

Allan Butler, Richard Langdon (farmer), Dave Barrow (Moorkeeper)
and Janet Dwyer at Luckworthy Farm

I had an away-day to Exmoor, yesterday.  It is a bit of a challenge from Dumfries but with trains and the sleeper running sweetly, it is not a problem.

The Graze the Moor project is a partnership project with the main players being The Molland Estate, the Exmoor National Park Authority, and Natural England. As Project Manager I am responsible for the delivery of the project plan and the inevitable bureaucracy that surrounds such a project.  funding is being provided by Exmoor NPA, through their Partnership Fund with contributions from the other partners included The Heather Trust.  The project is running for five years and the second year was completed at the end of March.

A new recruit - 'Juggernaut'
a former native of Dumfries-shire

The purpose of yesterday's visit was to introduce Prof Janet Dwyer, from the University of Gloucestershire and Dr Allan Butler from the Royal Agricultural University to the project as I have invited them to provide some input to the economic comparison that is part of the project and to consider how to carry out the external evaluation of the project in its final year.  

The economic comparison seeks to identify the difference in income and expenditure between farms that graze the moor with hill livestock and those that have different breeds but keep them on in-bye land or in buildings. It is not a straightforward exercise and I am hoping that the challenge will be accepted.

Country Market & Sporting Sale - ready for the final fling?

The Country Market & Sporting Sale is poised for the final flurry of activity. We have a large range of exciting Lots on offer that have been attracting bids since the launch of the Sale on 22 April.  There has been some furious bidding for some Lots and we are expecting a large amount of activity between now and the end of the Sale at 7.00pm on Sunday 8 May.

Don’t miss out!  Have a look at the Lots on the Sale’s website and get bidding. There is something for every interest and every budget.

Asulam for Bracken Control 2016

The weather may be unseasonal, but I can confirm that should bracken decide to brave the conditions  this year, it will be possible to control it using asulam.

The Chemicals Regulation Directorate has issued an Emergency Authorisation that will allow asulam to be sold and transferred from 16 May 2016, and applied in the period 1 July - 12 September 2016.  There will be a use-up period until 31 October 2016, which will allow stocks to be applied or returned (if in unopened containers).  From 1 November 2016, it will once again be illegal to hold any stocks of asulam.

As the coordinator of the Bracken Control Group, I submit the application for the Emergency Authorisation for the UK and full details of the application are available on the BCG Website.

I urge anyone planning to purchase or apply asulam this year to read the conditions in the Emergency Authorisation, as it is important that the conditions are complied with.

Key Dates Summary 2016 

 

16 May 2016	Effective date for the Notice of Authorisation issued by CRD Start of the Emergency Authorisation period of 120 days. Storage, promotion, sales, and transfer authorised.
1 July 2016	Application of Asulam can commence.
12 September 2016	First expiry date: for sale & distribution of stocks. Storage and use of stocks can continue.
31 October 2016	Final expiry date: for disposal, storage and use of stocks. It will be illegal to apply or store Asulam after this date.

Scottish Land & Estates - Spring Conference - 25 May 2016

Scottish Land & Estates has announced details of their Spring Conference, which will be held in The Assembly Rooms, George Street, Edinburgh on 25 May 2016.

This conference offers delegates a unique opportunity to engage with Scottish landowners, representatives of land based business, rural professionals, politicians, policy decision makers and academics. The conference is designed to stimulate debate, introduce new ideas and approaches, explore challenges and identify potential solutions.

For more details about the conference and how to apply for a place, see the SL&E website.

Country Market & Sporting Sale 2016 - going live!

Starts: Midnight, tonight.

Closes: 7.00pm on Sunday, 8th May.

See the Website for details

We have a wide variety of great Lots and thanks go to all the donors for making the Sale so attractive once again.  Patrick and Samantha have done a great job putting it all together, and Patrick's artwork has added a unique quality to the promotion material.  We are all available to help answer any questions. 

Previously we have closed the Sale at 12 noon on the final Friday, but to accommodate those who can only bid at weekends, we have extended the Sale through until 7.00pm on the Sunday evening.  

You will hear much more about the Sale between now and 8th May so there will be no excuses for not bidding!  Please spread the word around the people you are in contact with.

Graze the Moor project - Molland Moor, Exmoor

Landowner, Christina Williams, in full flow

I had a good day yesterday on Exmoor, where I am project manager for the Graze the Moor project that amongst other work, is seeking to establish the impact of re-introducing winter grazing, principally by hill cattle, onto Molland Moor.

After a meeting in the estate office, it was a pleasure to get out onto the moor and see the benefits of the work that is being carried out by the project. Conditions were benign as the photo shows.

I am pleased that the University of Gloucester has shown a keen interest in this project and I am looking forward to introducing Prof Janet Dwyer and Dr Allan Butler from the Royal Agricultural University at Cirencester to the work of the project when they visit Molland next month.

Molinia starting to grow

One of the management challenges on Molland Moor is Purple moor-grass Molinia caerulea. In this photo you can see that the Molinia is already putting up green shoots after being burnt this spring.  Even in the Devon climate, heather cannot compete with this rate of recovery.  The project is considering how the dominance of Molinia on parts of the moor can be challenged.  We are thinking or raking out some of the mat of dead vegetation under the Molinia.  A dragged chain harrow has not been effective (and caused as much damage to the harrow as to the tussocks).  Has anyone had any success with this sort of approach?

To add an extra connection to the work, the cattle on the moor are mainly Galloway, and the farmer is seeking to upgrade them.  He bought the champion Galloway bull, and the runner up, at the bull sale in Castle Douglas, last year. These bulls came from Troloss Farm, which is owned by the landlord of the Heather Trust's office.  I drive through the farm every time I head north from the office.  

Golden Plover Award 2016 - applications

The application window for this year's Golden Plover Award is closing.  We have received a good range of applications but would welcome more.  If you have been wondering whether to apply or not, today would be a good day to come off the fence and make the decision to make an application. It is a simple process - a phone call would do to start with.

This year we are encouraging applications from those who have integrated sheep into the management of their moorland and this has raised some interest from the farming sector. 

There is more information about the Award, and its development over the last three years, on the dedicated website: www.goldenploveraward.co.uk

Langholm Moor Demonstration Project - completion plan

This 10-year project completes in October 2017.  The project is set up as a company and it is run by a Board of Directors, which met, last week, to discuss how the project is to be managed between now and completion.  This follows the sad resignation of the Headkeeper, Simon Lester, earlier this month, and other reductions in the gamekeeping team.

See the news item on the Project's website for details of the plan that has been announced.

I am a member of the Science & Technical Advisory Group.  As this Group is a form of scientific watchdog for the project, many members are professors, but there are some members who have management experience.  I was invited to join the Group in 2013 to provide further support on habitat management, and it has helped to have had some direct output from the Project that I have been able to share with Scotland's Moorland Forum.

The Directors have acknowledged that the Project is not going to meet all the targets that were set for it. However, there have been many successes and I welcome the plan to write up properly all the work that has been completed so that the moorland management community can get full value from the project. Inevitably, there will be criticism that all the targets will not be achieved, but this should not be seen as failure.  Targets are always going to be at risk when dealing with natural systems that cannot be tightly controlled, and the final report from the Project will need to balance the successes against the challenges that still remain to be answered.

Will there be an appetite for a Langholm 3 project?

Landowners and Managers: what is the state of your peatlands?

Actively eroding peatland

If landowners and managers are unsure about the state of their peatlands, the Peatland Condition Assessment Guide, which has been published by the Trust, provides practical information to help assess their condition.

The assessment process does not require specialist botanical knowledge. Using easily observed features, and illustrative photographs, the guide identifies four categories of peatland condition: near-natural, modified, drained and actively eroding. Identifying these categories is the starting point for establishing the benefit to peatland condition that might result from changes in management and whether or not any restoration work is required. 

The peatland condition categories also link through to Defra-funded research associated with the Peatland Code, and the categories can also be used to estimate greenhouse gas emissions from peatlands. This feature may be useful in making a case for funding peatland restoration projects (see note).

The guide summarises some key points about peatlands and provides some detail about their key features:

Key Points

• Peatlands are important for carbon storage, water regulation and biodiversity.
• The main peat-forming species are Sphagnum mosses and sedges like cotton grass.
• These species can be lost through drying of the peat surface as a result of natural and man-induced changes to drainage, burning and grazing regimes.
• The primary aims of peatland restoration are: re-vegetating bare peat and re-establishing peat-forming mosses and sedges through re-wetting.

Key Features

• Peatlands are not only important within the context of greenhouse gas emissions and climate change; they also support wildlife, food production and good water quality.
• Bare peat is worth nothing; it has little value for grazing, game, wildlife, landscape or access. 
• Peat erosion is not only a direct loss of soil; it also results in the emission of greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. 
• Eroded peat can end up in watercourses with implications for water quality, fish and private water supplies.
• The increased interest in peatlands is based on the growing global awareness of how important peatlands are for the range of natural (ecosystem) services that these areas provide.
• Improving peatland condition can provide multiple benefits for a range of natural (ecosystem) services.

Peatland after ditch blocking

The guide is available to download from the Heather Trust’s website.  I also have some printed copies; please contact Anne Stoddart at the Trust, if you would like some of these.  There is no charge for the printed copies, but I would welcome a donation to cover our costs.

I have long advocated that we need to direct more effort at raising the level of awareness within the land management community about peatland.  We need to consider peatland as a valuable asset.  We must accept that it needs sensitive management and landowners and managers are the people to provide this.  I hope this guide will allow landowners and managers to form their own opinion of the state of their peatlands.  If it is established that some management changes would be beneficial or some restoration work is required, I will be pleased to make suggestions about who might be available to help.

I am grateful to Dr Dick Birnie from Landform Research for providing the driving force to produce this guide and to Dr Mary-Ann Smyth and Dr Emily Taylor from the Crichton Carbon Centre for helping with the drafting process.  I am pleased that the Trust has been able to fund the production of the guide and I thank the Peatland Action project for the financial support, which has reduced the cost to the Trust. 

This guide has been produced as a companion guide to the ‘Field guide to Spagnum mosses in bogs’, which was published by the Field Studies Council in 2012, with support from the Trust and other organisations.  The sphagnum guide is only available in printed form – I have a few copies available and it can be ordered from the FSC’s website.

---

Note: For further information, see the output from the Defra-funded project ‘Developing Peatland Carbon Metrics and Financial Modelling to Inform the Pilot Phase UK Peatland Code’:

·               Presentation given in October 2014 – outlines the approach

·              Full project report - June 2015

A Scottish Demonstration Farm for GWCT

Auchnerran Farm.  Photo: GWCT

In a recent article on their website, the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust provided the background to this new development:

"Having a demonstration farm in Scotland has been a GWCT objective for ten years. Demonstration is at the heart of the GWCT’s Allerton Project at Loddington in Leicestershire. Over 20 years this has become a showpiece for our farmland research, demonstrating that good arable farming and game shooting management sustain wildlife and countryside income."

The inclusion of upland and lowland within the farm makes this development of particular interest to the Heather Trust.  I like to avoid placing boundaries around different land types and separating upland from lowland issues is often unhelpful; much farm stock is moved between the two areas and wildlife moves freely up and down the hill.  Therefore, being able to demonstrate how game management and farming work side by side in lowland and upland areas will be very valuable.

An early fund raising target is £5,000 to cover tick treatment for the sheep flock for 12 months.  A JustGiving webpage has been set up to receive donations, which can be made anonymously if desired. 

Wildfire: Be Aware

This is a “Wildfire – Be Aware” message issued by the Met Office. 

Further updates to this message will be circulated as more information becomes available.

A high pressure system is dominating the UK’s weather, with the potential to bring dry continental air to parts of the UK at times. This situation is likely to persist for the coming week. Historically, this weather pattern has been linked to elevated wildfire behaviour, at this time of year.

Whilst no specific wildfire warnings are in place, wildfire conditions have the potential to change markedly from day-to-day, depending on the wind direction. The wildfire community should be vigilant of an increase in the frequency of wildfires whilst the high pressure continues to affect the UK.

Karl Kitchen, Met Office


If you have any questions relating to this advice from the Met Office, please contact Rowena Jeremy:

Rowena Jeremy
Business Development Manager - Government Services
Met Office FitzRoy Road Exeter Devon EX1 3PB United Kingdom
Mobile: +44 (0)7717815812 Fax: +44 (0)1392 885050
Email: rowena.jeremy@metoffice.gov.uk Website: http://www.metoffice.gov.uk

Wildfire Conference 2015 - Presentations available

Prevention Better than Cure

November 2015

The presentations from last year's wildfire conference are now available to download.  

The actions and lessons learned during the conference will provide a focus for the work of the wildfire forums, this year, and work will soon need to start to prepare for the next conference, which is likely to be held in 2017.

With the weather set fair this week, there is a good chance for the muirburn, heather burning & swaling plans to be put into action.  Even after all the wet weather of the winter, the vegetation can dry very quickly at this time of year and I urge care so that we do not end up with a spate of wildfires.

The Role of Fire in UK Peatland and Moorland Management

A paper has been produced that reflects on the role of fire in moorland management and it is due for publication in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, in May.  A copy of the report, which is marked 'For Review Only', has been circulated and to prove that this is an emotive subject,  comments have started to fly.  However, much of the rhetoric is based on the merits, or otherwise, of commenting on a report before it has been published.

One of the authors of the report, is Professor Rob Marrs, the Trust's President.  After discussing the report with him, I have agreed that I will not comment on the report until it has been published by the Royal Society.  At this stage, I will ask Rob to provide his comments on the report and I will add a post to this blog.  I will also aim to include a more in-depth review in the Trust's Annual Report that will be published in early August.

Golden Plover Award 2016 - Integrated Moorland Management & Sheep

We are working with the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust to promote our Golden Plover Award for Scotland.   In addition to an integrated approach to moorland management, which is carried out to a high standard, this year  we are seeking applicants who use sheep as an integral part of their management regime.

We will welcome applications from all parts of Scotland, the more remote the better! Applicants are not restricted to estates or landowners; we will value applications from tenant farmers and crofters.

If you value the management that your sheep provide for your moorland, you will be eligible to apply for the award. 

There is more detail about the Award on the dedicated website. 

The deadline for applications is 23 March 2016 so that we can review applications and select the winner in the for the award to be made at the Scottish Game Fair on 1 July 2016.

We are grateful to Lindsays - who are Edinburgh based solicitors - for sponsoring the Golden Plover Award, this year.

England & Wales Wildfire Forum

Alex Bennet, the Chief Fire Office for the Northumberland Fire & Rescue Service, is due to retire in July.  Alex is also the Chairman of the England & Wales Wildfire Forum (EWWF), and I have enjoyed working alongside him as the Vice-Chairman.

The combination of my rural background alongside Alex's dedication to the fire Service has been a good combination, and I hope that we can find a similarly effective formula for maintaining the momentum of the EWWF, which has developed under Alex's leadership.  There is no doubt in my mind that we need to take the threat posed by wildfire more seriously.  After a very wet winter, it is difficult to remember that we could easily be into a wildfire season by the end of April.  The national conference, held in November last year on the outskirts Glasgow, had a title of 'Prevention better then Cure' and I think this is something that the EWWF must continue to promote, alongside the Scottish Wildfire Forum.

Peatland Management promoted in London

I was part of a delegation that briefed the Defra Minister, Rory Stewart, MP in London yesterday about peatland management and the application of the Peatland Code.  The others present included Edward van Cutsem (Mossdale Estate), Tom Surrey (Defra), Alex Lawson (Savills), Alastair Martin (Duchy of Cornwall), Roddy Gow (Canongate Partners + IUCN), Clifton Bain (IUCN), the Minister, Johnny Hughes (IUCN), Peter Nixon (National Trust).

The numbers about peatland are compelling: if 100,000ha of degraded peatland is restored, over 30 years the restoration work will result in a net reduction of about 30MT CO2 equiv of emissions to the atmosphere, at a cost in the region of £300m. These are scary numbers, but against the scenario of the Government's commitment to reducing CO2 emissions the figures represent a cost of £13.50 /T CO2 equiv removed.  When compared with the cost of reducing carbon emissions by other means, the peatland option becomes more attractive.

It has been a busy couple of days: on Thursday, we organised a briefing about the Moorland Forum's Understanding Predation project for MSPs in the Scottish Parliament. See the the Understanding Predation blog for details.  It is good that the Trust is getting into the 'corridors of power'.  We know that our ideas have value but this is of no benefit unless we tell people.  These sort of excursions allow us to get the HT message direct into the heart of policy formation.

The Understanding Predation Project - launched 8 February

Battleby Conference Centre

The Scottish Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform, Aileen McLeod, MSP, launched the Understanding predation report at the Battleby Conference Centre, near Perth on Monday.

This project was commissioned by the Scottish Government, supervised and funded by Scottish Natural Heritage and delivered by Scotland's Moorland Forum.  I am the Director of the Forum and have also been the Project Manager.  It has been a huge effort to get the work done in the time available, but I think it has been worth it. 

Ian Ross (Chairman SNH) The Minister &
Lord Lindsay (Chairman, Moorland Forum)

If you would like to know more about the project and its findings there is much more information on the Moorland Forum's website and in the Understanding Predation project's blog.

From the Heather Trust's perspective, there are some important messages.  First, it is possible for people with local knowledge to work alongside scientists and to contribute equally to the discussions.  Second, a collaborative approach to issues can be very effective.  This is very much in line with the Trust's approach to 'promoting integrated moorland management'.  Every view should be treated with respect and every voice heard.

The project has produced a shared view of the issues and the next question will be how to apply this knowledge to the best effect.  The key point will be that it may take longer and be more expensive to adopt a collaborative approach, but the results are likely to be much more effective and longer lasting.