New information about local nature recovery and landscape recovery

@Janet Hughes Defra
This whole term 'Landscape Recovery' really bugs me, Defra is implying that the landscape in the UK is broken
We live in the most beautiful and diverse country in the world, from the patchwork of fields with hedgerows or dry stone walls interspersed with woodlands and copses, from the mountains and rolling hills to the beauty of the flat landscape of the Fens with its big skies and drainage ditches, many thousands of tourists come here just to marvel at the landscape and history which didn't get like it by accident but because of farmers who created it by doing what they do best - farming it!
So please Janet can you explain which part of the landscape is actually broken and needs fixing, I sincerely hopeyou and Defra haven't pandered to the likes of the RSPB and are now intent on covering this beautiful landscape with brambles, nettles and ragwort
I'm sorry it's bugging you - to answer your question, the reason we've called it landscape recovery is because it's about habitat, river and wildlife restoration and recovery, relative to what we've seen in terms of well documented declines in habitats, water quality and species. And the same thinking is behind the name and purpose of Local Nature Recovery - overall what we're trying to support is effective nature recovery eg a reverse in the decline of farmland birds and other species - alongside profitable food production.
 

DRC

Member
I'm sorry it's bugging you - to answer your question, the reason we've called it landscape recovery is because it's about habitat, river and wildlife restoration and recovery, relative to what we've seen in terms of well documented declines in habitats, water quality and species. And the same thinking is behind the name and purpose of Local Nature Recovery - overall what we're trying to support is effective nature recovery eg a reverse in the decline of farmland birds and other species - alongside profitable food production.
Shouldn’t the water companies be forced to pay to clean up the rivers they pollute with raw sewage
 

Two Tone

Member
Mixed Farmer
I'm sorry it's bugging you - to answer your question, the reason we've called it landscape recovery is because it's about habitat, river and wildlife restoration and recovery, relative to what we've seen in terms of well documented declines in habitats, water quality and species. And the same thinking is behind the name and purpose of Local Nature Recovery - overall what we're trying to support is effective nature recovery eg a reverse in the decline of farmland birds and other species - alongside profitable food production.
How sure are you @Janet Hughes Defra that your so called well documented declines in habitats, water quality and species are true and up to date?
Who, when and where exactly is this well document information coming from?
Are you absolutely confident that all such information isn’t biased in favour of those who have an axe to grind, without at least some sort of up to date recent independent scientific research?
If so, who?
 

ski

Member
I'm sorry it's bugging you - to answer your question, the reason we've called it landscape recovery is because it's about habitat, river and wildlife restoration and recovery, relative to what we've seen in terms of well documented declines in habitats, water quality and species. And the same thinking is behind the name and purpose of Local Nature Recovery - overall what we're trying to support is effective nature recovery eg a reverse in the decline of farmland birds and other species - alongside profitable food production.
I question the data. I am fairly sure that since the late 70's the environment has been improving, my own experience supports that and it was around then that we started to regulate things such as pesticides more thoroughly.
 

PostHarvest

Member
Location
Warwick
I'm sorry it's bugging you - to answer your question, the reason we've called it landscape recovery is because it's about habitat, river and wildlife restoration and recovery, relative to what we've seen in terms of well documented declines in habitats, water quality and species. And the same thinking is behind the name and purpose of Local Nature Recovery - overall what we're trying to support is effective nature recovery eg a reverse in the decline of farmland birds and other species - alongside profitable food production.

.Of course there has been a decline in habitats, water quality and species - Only 100 metres from where I am typing this is a development of 12,000 houses where only 2 years ago there was open farmland. Every one of those houses has been thrown up at the lowest possible cost and standard of build quality to generate maximum profit for the major house builders. Nothing to do with farming at all. Water quality is poor because once again big business interests are allowed to dump sewage waste from all of these houses into the rivers. The decline in farmland birds is easily explained by the protected species status given to high level predators. If you care to spend half a day with me I can show you exactly what is causing all of these problems and it certainly isn't agriculture
 

topground

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
North Somerset.
@Janet Hughes Defra All of the decline I have witnessed over the last 40 years in wildlife on my farm has been due to the explosion in the numbers of top end predators. Badgers, Raptors and Buzzards have decimated small birds like Yellow Hammer; Lapwing and ground nesting birds across the board and hare populations. All due to the blanket protection afforded to those predators by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Nothing I do regarding habitat provision on my farm will help prey species unless I can legally control predators.
 
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Vader

Member
Mixed Farmer
I'm sorry it's bugging you - to answer your question, the reason we've called it landscape recovery is because it's about habitat, river and wildlife restoration and recovery, relative to what we've seen in terms of well documented declines in habitats, water quality and species. And the same thinking is behind the name and purpose of Local Nature Recovery - overall what we're trying to support is effective nature recovery eg a reverse in the decline of farmland birds and other species - alongside profitable food production.
And there we have it folks.
Anti farming at its best.
Janet clearly has no idea about the subject she is in charge of and is believing all words of packhams cult....

The worse thing is she will belive what the rspb and Co tells her.... FARMERS ARE TO BLAME FOR EVERYTHING!!!
 

Vader

Member
Mixed Farmer
@Janet Hughes Defra Much of the decline I have witnessed over the last 40 years in wildlife on my farm has been due to the explosion in the numbers of top end predators. Badgers, Raptors and Buzzards have decimated small birds like Yellow Hammer; Lapwing and ground nesting birds across the board and hare populations. All due to the blanket protection afforded to those predators by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Nothing I do regarding habitat provision on my farm will help prey species unless I can legally control predators.
100% spot on.
But none of the experts advising Janet will admit it.
They would rather leave the predators alone, loose the other birds and blame farmers for it.
 

Vader

Member
Mixed Farmer
@Janet Hughes Defra
Here you go. This is what happens when rspb look after stuff. Yet your taking their advice.


And by the way, when my farm was surveyed for my hls scheme, they found 1 of the biggest population of corn buntings in South Yorkshire.
Also 9 of the 10 red list species at that time were here. That's without rewilding...
 
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Hindsight

Member
Location
Lincolnshire
I'm sorry it's bugging you - to answer your question, the reason we've called it landscape recovery is because it's about habitat, river and wildlife restoration and recovery, relative to what we've seen in terms of well documented declines in habitats, water quality and species. And the same thinking is behind the name and purpose of Local Nature Recovery - overall what we're trying to support is effective nature recovery eg a reverse in the decline of farmland birds and other species - alongside profitable food production.
never saw a barn owl or hare in my youth. Now trip over hares and regularly see barn owls.
 
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aangus

Member
Location
cumbria
I used to like Boris, now I pray him and miss vegan get the boot, so that common sense may prevail on this utter madness of these schemes that are being presented every other month. Does Defra/Rpa want birds and bees or food, surely there must be a happy medium. Look at the money being spent on coming with theses new payments schemes.
Maybe no more subsidies no more Defra!!!!
 

devonbeef

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Devon UK
.Of course there has been a decline in habitats, water quality and species - Only 100 metres from where I am typing this is a development of 12,000 houses where only 2 years ago there was open farmland. Every one of those houses has been thrown up at the lowest possible cost and standard of build quality to generate maximum profit for the major house builders. Nothing to do with farming at all. Water quality is poor because once again big business interests are allowed to dump sewage waste from all of these houses into the rivers. The decline in farmland birds is easily explained by the protected species status given to high level predators. If you care to spend half a day with me I can show you exactly what is causing all of these problems and it certainly isn't agriculture
I am lucky enough to live in a fairly undeveloped part of the countryside, where damage is being done to local environment, it is be done by the encroachment of man, NOT FARMING. Sewage systems of holiday cottages complexes not working letting raw sewage into river, Doubling size of local village in last 4 years all going to same discharge point to overloaded treatment plant, People in larger numbers disturbing nesting birds and other animals with their dogs.The massive increase in road traffic all on small lanes, driving to fast, road kill noticeably increased.
 

Grass And Grain

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Yorks
I'm not sure how DEFRA budget for ELMS.

How can they know what the uptake will be, and what will DEFRA do if there is a whole lot of money left over because of poor uptake (or over subscription)?
 

Dave645

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
N Lincs
I'm sorry it's bugging you - to answer your question, the reason we've called it landscape recovery is because it's about habitat, river and wildlife restoration and recovery, relative to what we've seen in terms of well documented declines in habitats, water quality and species. And the same thinking is behind the name and purpose of Local Nature Recovery - overall what we're trying to support is effective nature recovery eg a reverse in the decline of farmland birds and other species - alongside profitable food production.
https://www.rspb.org.uk/our-work/co...lity/farming/near-you/farmland-bird-declines/
While I have no problem encouraging better wildlife support for birds etc, I often wonder with migratory species what effect we can have when we are only One area in which they live.

how effective has the uk environmental schemes been so far in improving bird numbers for non migratory birds that live in the uk.
if we are to belive the website I shared not much, and they are at a loss to know why, so why are these programs continuing to push ahead when the results are not showing?

if over winter stubbles is not working when set aside didn’t work why press for those as options, when dedicated options may give better results?
Often birds have areas they use every year, a farm near me gets geese coming over winter on set fields every year, mine only 100 meters away never get bothered.
An expansion of areas already getting birds visiting seems a better more targets system.
I have land surveyed every year and it has good bird populations because we have trees long term pasture and natural regeneration that’s a long way or at least a good way from housing so a long way from cats.
Just putting down random areas of bird food has not worked so why perpetuate it why spend money on random farm land areas when expanding areas around existing bird populations would give better results.
So those small farms that have these areas are supported in simple scheme that don’t require finding 500ha of land to also go into the scheme.
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

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    Votes: 3 1.6%
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  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

    Votes: 7 3.7%

Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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