Companies large and small have the power to protect and restore the UK’s upland landscapes for the benefit of nature, climate and people. Wild Moors encourages businesses and institutions which own land to implement meaningful nature protection measures that will end harmful practices and restore the upland environment.
Ending grouse moor management on corporate land
Large areas of the uplands are owned by companies and institutions as water catchments or for their cultural and recreational value. These areas of land are significant in size, with public facing organisations owning over 54,000 hectares of moorland landscapes between them.
Many of these areas, despite their huge potential for nature, are leased and maintained for grouse shooting, although that is gradually changing. Most often they are managed for this purpose not with protecting wildlife, the environment and natural heritage in mind, but instead with a focus on increasing the availability of large numbers of grouse to be shot for sport. For this reason, wild mammals and birds are often trapped and snared, sometimes even persecuted illegally, and peatlands are left exposed and vulnerable to erosion when intensive heather management is performed.
Working with businesses to restore nature in the uplands
When upland landscapes are sustainably managed and restored, this ensures a fully resilient ecosystem in which wet moorlands, biodiverse woodlands, and ancient grasslands can improve resilience by storing carbon, providing a home for wildlife, slowing the flow of run-off water, and improving water quality and retention. By unlocking opportunities to deliver a richer and more diverse approach to habitat management, restoring the uplands can also help develop land-based jobs and skills.
All of these factors underscore the importance of campaigning for corporate and institutional landowners to phase out environmentally harmful practices and instead restore upland landscapes for the benefit of nature, climate and people.