Robigus
Member
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/environment/wildlife/article3991043.ece
Pay locals to go and leave Levels alone, say wildlife groups
·
Campaigners are aginst dredging the Somerset Levels Times photographer Tom Pilston
Ben WebsterEnvironment Editor
Published at 12:01AM, January 31 2014
Farmland in parts of the Somerset Levels should either be abandoned to nature or converted to less intensive forms of farming that can cope with regular flooding, wildlife groups claim.
They fear that the deepening political row over villages cut off for a month will push the Government into approving a major programme of river dredging, which would destroy the habitat of wetland wildlife.
The groups argue that it would be cheaper to pay some people to move and compensate them for their land rather than fund expensive drainage systems on a flood plain.
A senior member of one wildlife group said: “The Levels could be the Camargue or the Everglades of England. But we cannot say that publicly because people there are understandably very angry and upset.”
The RSPB and the Somerset Wildlife Trust, which own several thousand acres of the Levels, issued a statement yesterday calling on the Government to limit the amount of dredging and to “plan and enable land-use change to provide more space for water”.
Mark Robins, senior policy officer for the RSPB, said that the charity supported dredging about three miles of the Rivers Tone and Parrett but not the more ambitious dredging programme demanded by many farmers.
He said dredging was “only one tenth of the solution to floods in what is England’s largest lowland flood plain”.
He said that dairy farming was not sustainable on large parts of the Levels because it depended on grassland, which was vulnerable to flooding.
The RSPB wants these farmers to switch to rearing beef herds and other less intensive forms of farming.
“You have farm businesses locked into dairy-style farming, which needs bright green intensive grassland but is incredibly vulnerable [to flooding].
“Over time they could shift out of the lowest part of this sump and make themselves less vulnerable. We are suggesting a land-use change to more flood-resilient grasslands like our nature reserves.” Mr Robins admitted that it would be difficult to persuade some farmers to change. “There are deep cultural issues here and almost sectarian values from those who still hope that the kind of intensive factory floor farming is an opportunity in the Somerset Levels.”
David Leach, landscape manager of the Somerset Wildlife Trust, said that heavy dredging would be devastating for water voles, otters and many species of fish. He said “villages and critical infrastructure” should be protected with better flood defences but in the longer term people living “slap bang in the middle of the flood plain” could be paid to move.
“Instead of the farmers farming it you just treat it as a natural wetland. It fills up with water in winter and gradually goes down in summer. By the time you have added up how much we are paying on pumping, dredging, single farm payments and all the rest, you would be able to buy the land.”
He suggested that farmers who received subsidies for producing food could instead be paid for storing water.
However, Michael Eavis, the founder of the Glastonbury Festival, whose farm at Pilton is on the edge of the Levels, said the problem was that money previously spent on dredging had been diverted into conservation at the behest of organisations such as the RSPB.
He said the Government and its agencies “seem keener to spend millions protecting river oysters, water voles and umpteen species of birds than a single penny on protecting the hardworking families who are just trying to make an honest living from the land”.
Last September, Mr Eavis worked with the Royal Bath and West of England Society to campaign to raise about £4 million to dredge rivers on the Levels. The Society said at the time that lack of dredging meant that rivers were now taking 60 per cent of the water they should be able to manage.
The Environment Agency said last September that it was still “studying proposals” for dredging and that it could only contribute a fraction of the money required.
3 comments
Jeremy A
So we must stop farming our lowlands as it is bad for wildlife, and George Monbiot and his friends think we should stop farming our uplands because it is bad for wildlife. Then we would have to eat each other which I’m sure the wildlife would enjoy.
This land has been farmed for centuries, much of it is reclaimed. The only difference now is that they stopped dredging when the Environment Agency took over from the drainage boards.
Thank goodness for Michael Eavis, at least his voice of common sense can be heard.
Rachel MEINKE
All this arguing! Meanwhile the rain keeps falling!
Robert Hardcastle9 hours ago
The RSPB seem to be completely mad. Another 'charity' not to donate to.
Where do they think they wildlife was when the river was being dredged before?
On the basis of their argument we should have houses no where and let wild animals take over everywhere. These are probably the same liberal minded people who are probably chanting about embracing uncontrolled immigration without even considering where these people are going to live without upsetting the otters.
Pay locals to go and leave Levels alone, say wildlife groups
·
Campaigners are aginst dredging the Somerset Levels Times photographer Tom Pilston
Ben WebsterEnvironment Editor
Published at 12:01AM, January 31 2014
Farmland in parts of the Somerset Levels should either be abandoned to nature or converted to less intensive forms of farming that can cope with regular flooding, wildlife groups claim.
They fear that the deepening political row over villages cut off for a month will push the Government into approving a major programme of river dredging, which would destroy the habitat of wetland wildlife.
The groups argue that it would be cheaper to pay some people to move and compensate them for their land rather than fund expensive drainage systems on a flood plain.
A senior member of one wildlife group said: “The Levels could be the Camargue or the Everglades of England. But we cannot say that publicly because people there are understandably very angry and upset.”
The RSPB and the Somerset Wildlife Trust, which own several thousand acres of the Levels, issued a statement yesterday calling on the Government to limit the amount of dredging and to “plan and enable land-use change to provide more space for water”.
Mark Robins, senior policy officer for the RSPB, said that the charity supported dredging about three miles of the Rivers Tone and Parrett but not the more ambitious dredging programme demanded by many farmers.
He said dredging was “only one tenth of the solution to floods in what is England’s largest lowland flood plain”.
He said that dairy farming was not sustainable on large parts of the Levels because it depended on grassland, which was vulnerable to flooding.
The RSPB wants these farmers to switch to rearing beef herds and other less intensive forms of farming.
“You have farm businesses locked into dairy-style farming, which needs bright green intensive grassland but is incredibly vulnerable [to flooding].
“Over time they could shift out of the lowest part of this sump and make themselves less vulnerable. We are suggesting a land-use change to more flood-resilient grasslands like our nature reserves.” Mr Robins admitted that it would be difficult to persuade some farmers to change. “There are deep cultural issues here and almost sectarian values from those who still hope that the kind of intensive factory floor farming is an opportunity in the Somerset Levels.”
David Leach, landscape manager of the Somerset Wildlife Trust, said that heavy dredging would be devastating for water voles, otters and many species of fish. He said “villages and critical infrastructure” should be protected with better flood defences but in the longer term people living “slap bang in the middle of the flood plain” could be paid to move.
“Instead of the farmers farming it you just treat it as a natural wetland. It fills up with water in winter and gradually goes down in summer. By the time you have added up how much we are paying on pumping, dredging, single farm payments and all the rest, you would be able to buy the land.”
He suggested that farmers who received subsidies for producing food could instead be paid for storing water.
However, Michael Eavis, the founder of the Glastonbury Festival, whose farm at Pilton is on the edge of the Levels, said the problem was that money previously spent on dredging had been diverted into conservation at the behest of organisations such as the RSPB.
He said the Government and its agencies “seem keener to spend millions protecting river oysters, water voles and umpteen species of birds than a single penny on protecting the hardworking families who are just trying to make an honest living from the land”.
Last September, Mr Eavis worked with the Royal Bath and West of England Society to campaign to raise about £4 million to dredge rivers on the Levels. The Society said at the time that lack of dredging meant that rivers were now taking 60 per cent of the water they should be able to manage.
The Environment Agency said last September that it was still “studying proposals” for dredging and that it could only contribute a fraction of the money required.
3 comments
Jeremy A
So we must stop farming our lowlands as it is bad for wildlife, and George Monbiot and his friends think we should stop farming our uplands because it is bad for wildlife. Then we would have to eat each other which I’m sure the wildlife would enjoy.
This land has been farmed for centuries, much of it is reclaimed. The only difference now is that they stopped dredging when the Environment Agency took over from the drainage boards.
Thank goodness for Michael Eavis, at least his voice of common sense can be heard.
Rachel MEINKE
All this arguing! Meanwhile the rain keeps falling!
Robert Hardcastle9 hours ago
The RSPB seem to be completely mad. Another 'charity' not to donate to.
Where do they think they wildlife was when the river was being dredged before?
On the basis of their argument we should have houses no where and let wild animals take over everywhere. These are probably the same liberal minded people who are probably chanting about embracing uncontrolled immigration without even considering where these people are going to live without upsetting the otters.