Moorland Association
@moorlandassoc.bsky.social
110 followers 350 following 380 posts
Moorland Association members are passionate in their care for 860,000 acres of heather moorland in England and Wales.
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moorlandassoc.bsky.social
🪶 A major new IUCN report shows bird numbers are plummeting worldwide. But on our managed grouse moors, curlew, golden plover & merlin are thriving, thanks to traditional gamekeeping. Practical stewardship works.
moorlandassoc.bsky.social
🔥 Scotland paused its burning rules to get wildfire prevention right. England pressed ahead, ignoring lessons, evidence and warnings.

Defra must follow Scotland’s lead before it’s too late.

Read our latest blog - link is in comments 👇
moorlandassoc.bsky.social
🔥 Defra’s own evidence disproves the claim that repeated burning “permanently alters” peatlands, yet a Minister is still repeating it to MPs.

Accountability and honest science are overdue.

Read our latest blog - link is in comments 👇
moorlandassoc.bsky.social
🔥 Scotland is acting on wildfire warnings - Defra is turning away.

The Scottish Government has delayed new rules on burning to protect lives and landscapes. Meanwhile Defra’s red tape has created a ban by bureaucracy.

Read our latest blog, link is in replies 👇
moorlandassoc.bsky.social
🚒👏 Great teamwork on the Dark Peak!

Estate gamekeepers have been training @wyfrs.bsky.social crews in off-road Argo use, sharing vital skills and local knowledge to tackle moorland wildfires safely and effectively.

Working together protects the uplands. 👇
moorlandassoc.bsky.social
🔥 Natural England’s “complete” 2025 review on managed burning ignored the James Hutton Institute’s wildfire study, one that proves active management reduces fire danger.

Selective evidence leads to poor policy.

Read more on our blog - link is in comments 👇
moorlandassoc.bsky.social
🔥 Wildfire risk is climbing, yet Defra’s new rules triple the land where prescribed burns are banned.

We’ve instructed leading lawyers to challenge this unsafe policy.
It’s about safety, science, and fairness, not politics.

Full story in replies 👇
moorlandassoc.bsky.social
🔥 The North York Moors wildfire scorched 5,000 acres, the worst since 1976. A story of danger, courage, and lessons ignored.

Read how local keepers, farmers and fire crews stopped the blaze from reaching villages, and why poor policy made it worse.

Full story - link is in comments 👇
moorlandassoc.bsky.social
📄 A buried report. A different story.

FOI evidence shows Natural England still cites the 2011 ADAS study on upland management — but left it out of its public consultation.

The report backed controlled burning, warned against rewilding, and urged balanced management.

Read more - link in comments 👇
moorlandassoc.bsky.social
🕰️ Natural England’s “selective” consultation response left out half the story - England’s historic and cultural landscape.

Our FOI uncovered the missing truth. These uplands deserve full protection, not half measures.

Read the full investigation - link is in replies 👇
moorlandassoc.bsky.social
🕵️‍♂️ An FOI request has revealed that Natural England’s recent blog on controlled burning omitted key context and changed the tone of its own evidence. When science becomes selective, trust breaks down. It’s time for open, honest, evidence-led policy. Read our latest blog - link is in replies 👇
moorlandassoc.bsky.social
Courtesy of Calderdale Moorland Group 🎥
Whatever the weather, gamekeepers are out maintaining moorland tracks - clearing drains, fixing washouts, keeping access open for walkers, workers and even off-road mobility users. All done voluntarily, with no cost to the public purse.
moorlandassoc.bsky.social
👩‍⚕️ Wildfires have cost £460m this year - the same as paying 10,952 NHS nurses for a full year. Natural England’s new controlled burning restrictions have just increased the risk of more wildfires in the future, leading to yet more senseless waste.
moorlandassoc.bsky.social
✍️ Lord Botham Criticizes New Burning Restrictions in The Telegraph

In a robust column for The Telegraph, Lord Botham has pointed out how the government's new restrictions on controlled burning will inevitably lead to more wildfires. Read his article - link is in comments 👇
moorlandassoc.bsky.social
🚁 A helicopter airlifting materials to a remote site in the North Pennines National Landscape to help restore and repair damaged peat.

📷 Photo courtesy of North Pennines National Landscape