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They shoot grouse, plant heather for the grouse to eat, then burn it regularly.
Because the new green shoots are grouses' favourite part of the heather plant, and the abundance of new growth sustains a larger grouse population. They also persecute hen harriers, who like to eat young grouse, shooting and poisoning one of Britain's rarest raptors.
They cut drainage channels to get rid of water.
Which means the water drains much faster, causing problems down stream when there is heavy rain. The flooding of Hebden Bridge in 2021 (and 2015 and 2019) is a direct consequence of it being down stream from moors turned over to grouse shooting.
andyp
aggi
Mr_Sworld
They shoot grouse, plant heather for the grouse to eat, then burn it regularly. They cut drainage channels to get rid of water.
Peat moorland should be like Kinder. A wet, green blanket of Sphagnum moss with thigh sucking peat bogs beneath.
Not fun to walk in admittedly. However, the UK has 15% of the world's peat bogs and it's our biggest carbon trap.
Grouse shooting has changed the landscape over many generations (as has sheep farming) and we think it's normal.
Just glad that some of the major landowners aren't renewing the leases now and allowing the Moors to be rewilded by blocking the drainage channels.
Still. Peat accumulates at 1mm a year so the sooner we start the better.