Out & About …

… on the North York Moors, or wherever I happen to be.

The North York Moors Draft Management Plan

I found out today that the North York Moors National Park have been consulting the public on their Draft Management Plan November 20211North York Moors National Park. (2022). Draft Management Plan: North York Moors National Park. [online] Available at: https://www.northyorkmoors.org.uk/looking-after/new-management-plan/draft-management-plan [Accessed 24 Jan. 2022]..

The trouble is the deadline for comments was 21 January 2022. I’ve missed the boat.

I wonder where they publicised this “consultation”.

Anyhow, the plan proposes six “outcomes”:

  1. 1. A resilient landscape at the forefront of addressing climate change.
  2. 2. A more biodiverse landscape.
  3. 3. A more beautiful and varied landscape where our key Special Qualities are conserved and enhanced.
  4. 4. A place that lifts the nation’s health and well-being.
  5. 5. A place of great beauty where local communities thrive.
  6. 6. A place that supports a more diverse and flourishing net zero carbon economy.

All well and good. Within these outcomes are 22 “Objectives”.

My interest was piqued by Outcome No. 2 “A more biodiverse landscape”. Here I found three Objectives:

  1. 6. Create bigger, better and more joined-up habitats, with nature-rich wildlife corridors extending beyond the National Park boundaries.
  2. 7. Support low-intervention management on at least 2,000 hectares of high-quality habitat to restore a wilder and more naturally functioning ecosystem through two landscape recovery schemes from 2023.
  3. 8. Work with our moorland community to support the sustainable management of moorland to ensure it retains a natural remoteness which supports a greater variety of species and habitats.

It’s all a bit wishy washy isn’t it?

No mention of burning of the heather and other intensive grouse moor management practices. No mention of wildlife crime, the shooting and trapping of birds of prey. No mention of so-called ‘trail hunting’. No mention of degradation of woodland due extensive pheasant rearing.

All in all, a missed opportunity.


From Capt. Cook’s Monument today on Easby Moor. The blue sky spoilt by a plume of smoke from burning on the moors beyond Baysdale.


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