Today the government presented a new proposal to ban heather burning on peatland in a bid to protect the environment of the country’s natural parks in a bid to increase water and air quality while benefiting the local wildlife.
The plan consists of an extension of the already existing ban on heather burning on peatlands. With this ban, the government will ensure that an extra 146,000 hectares would be protected. The government hopes that this will protect wild habitats and help local communities to prevent flooding.
This move is part of the government’s environmental plans to achieve net zero by 2050 and expand wildlife-rich habitats. The scheme includes measures for nature recovery and lowering the air pollution. The peatlands in England are considered its lungs, and currently 80% of these lands have been degraded. This proposal follows the announcements of the wild release and management of beavers in England, a new approach to neonicotinoid pesticides on crops grown in England and new measures to strengthen our protected areas and meet 30×30.
This comes off the back of last week’s announcement in which the government committed to plant the Britain’s first ‘National Forest’ in 30 years and pledged to provide up to £400 million for tree planting and peatland restoration.
Heather burning has been practised on moorlands in the UK for many decades. Its purpose is to stimulate the growth of fresh vegetation. This method has benefits to agriculture, as farmers have used the technique as a way to prevent plants on their lands from drying out. Hunters also employ heather burning to attract game to the fresh vegetation.
However, the practice can be very harmful for the environment, as it can destroy natural habitats, leading to a decrease in species diversity, in addition to causing smoke nuisance and water discolouration. These effects are noted by scientists and the Peak District National Park.
Burning heather dries out peatlands, resulting in carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases being emitted instead of being stored in the ground. The smoke can be harmful for both humans and animals; studies have linked the harmful air to strokes, cardiovascular disease, asthma, and some diagnoses of lung cancer.
Since 2007, there have been growing calls to regulate heather burning activities around the country. However, in 2021, a new piece of legislation came into force limiting heather burning and requiring a licence. Some farmers interviewed for The Guardian showed anger towards the government for this legislation and defended heather burning by saying, “Without burning, you wouldn’t have the grouse estates: you would have bogs, you’d have rushes and nothing else.”
Nature Minister Mary Creagh said: “Our peatlands are this country’s Amazon Rainforest – home to our most precious wildlife, storing carbon and reducing flooding risk.” Hence, announcing the consultation for this new bill is a step for the peatlands to be better protected.
“These changes will benefit communities by improving air and water quality and protect homes and businesses from flood damage, which supports economic stability and security under our Plan for Change,” she continued.
Currently only 222,000 hectares of land are protected, and this new bill will expand this to 368,000 hectares out of England’s total of 677,250 hectares of deep peat. This is the equivalent of London, Manchester and the West Midlands put together.
