North York Moors National Park
 

Authority Services

Moorland Regeneration Programme

 

From October 1995-March 2001, the National Park Authority  coordinated a Moorland Regeneration Programme on behalf of landowners and managers.

The Programme Final Report, published in November 2001 highlights the considerable benefits that have been gained by integrating land management and conservation with a comprehensive funding package.

The success of the Programme lay in recognising that essential moorland management is carried out by the traditional businesses of grouse shooting and sheep farming which were assisted to provide additional benefits to the local economy, wildlife, landscape, communities and the general public.

The moors, although generally of high quality have suffered long term decline. The moors as a whole are not overstocked with sheep and there is starting to be a problem with undergrazing in some parts.

The aim of the Programme was to improve the quality of the moorland habitats and improve the health and quality of sheep and grouse by tackling the effects of sheep ticks and tick-borne diseases to give long term, sustainable economic and environmental benefits.

Developed and steered by a local partnership of grouse moor managers, farmers and conservationists, the Programme was successful in attracting funding of £2.83m from a combination of the European Union Objective 5B fund, the (former) Ministry of Agriculture, private business and the North York Moors National Park Authority, English Nature and the RSPB.

Key achievements were:

  • 26 estates and up to 117 farmers working together
  • 7.5% decrease in lamb mortality on the moors equivalent to 2000 extra lambs surviving annually)
  • Significant reduction in tick populations and associated disease
  • Restoration projects initiated over 409ha
  • Large amounts of annual heather burning and bracken control carried out
  • Improved infrastructure of moorland tracks, sheep handling facilities and cattle grids
  • Sheep Health Scheme
  • Awareness and marketing initiatives
  • Extensive monitoring including a full vegetation classification, breeding wader surveys (1996 and 2000), heather condition survey (1996) and annual red grouse and economics of hill sheep flocks surveys

 Monitoring of wader populations by the Programme has contributed to the national and European designations of 44000ha of the North York Moors. In addition, populations of curlew and lapwing have significantly increased in contrast to a national decline in these species over the period of the Programme.

Although the Programme has now ended, partners remain fully committed to continue working to identify future needs, strengthen the links between moorland management and conservation and seek ways to build on the sound foundations that have been laid. It is important to recognize that environmental improvements take a long time to accrue and five years is but a short time for this.

You can purchase a copy of the Moorland Regeneration Programme Report from our Online Shop or download it from our Publications Section.