A WELSH Marches grazier has said a proposed moorland regeneration scheme would see a return of the heather and grouse rich landscape he remembers as a boy return.

Mike Lloyd, who farms over the Herefordshire border in Gladestry, Powys, believes that managing the moors in the area and elsewhere in Wales would benefit all with more heather for grazing and the return of an important wildlife habitat.

He was invited along on a moorland walk by CLA Cymru and the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) together with Radnorshire gamekeeper, Paul Bird and MP for Brecon and Radnorshire, Roger Williams.

The group found that Welsh heather moorlands are at “tipping point”, an issue highlighted last year in a document, the State of Nature report, put together by 25 different conservation and research organisations which stressed an alarming loss of bird life on moorland.

CLA Cymru and the GWCT say that action is urgently needed to reverse the decline of Welsh moorlands and have designed a farmer-led scheme, involving 10 moorland owners/tenants, covering 60,000 acres.

“I would like to see the habitat brought back and the grouse numbers increased. We have a gorse problem which is getting bigger by the year. Regeneration would improve the grazing.

“I was asked if I would go along with Roger Williams and they asked me what it used to be like. I remember where the heather line was when I was younger. It has definitely declined and the bracken increased,” said the 72-year-old.

He recalls the first time he saw his first grouse nest as a boy when the heather reached the gate to the moor. He believes it has receded at least 300 yards since.

“Over the years the heather has been neglected; not burnt and it has got old. There may be some over grazing in certain places and the heather beetle has kept some off. The gorse has also kept it back,” said Mike.

He added: “The majority of graziers I believe would be in favour of the scheme and would love to see the grouse back. Some people use the moorland more than others. I have never used it extensively. I hope they do get some funding for improving the habitat.”

Funding is needed to kick-start the scheme and CLA Cymru and GWCT are hopeful the Welsh Government will share their enthusiasm and back the plan.

“It’s a last chance saloon,” said CLA Cymru policy director Karen Anthony, who said the Welsh moorlands lost 50 per cent of their heather over the last 60 years, resulting in a number being abandoned as bracken takes hold, gaining by 10 per cent every year.

“Welsh moorlands provide opportunities for tourism with increased numbers of hill walkers which has a huge effect on the rural economy.

“Without a vibrant living landscape the generation of tourism income disappears and with it the loss of local amenities such as village shops, pubs, bed & breakfasts and post offices.

“All in all once we lose the resources to manage these moors it will be far too intensive to ever consider again in our lifetime,” she said.

Roger Williams MP said there’s a “tremendous obligation” to restore the beautiful moors to their former glory.

“Wales has 30 per cent of the UK’s heather so one wonders how we can just sit back and let it disappear. Moorlands need management but unfortunately most people know very little in terms of the importance of these areas. We are now at crisis point but have the next generation waiting to get on with the job. We must embrace them.

“This visit was a great example of how moorland managers and graziers can co-operate in improving the moors. This is important so that they can remain productive agricultural assets and are able to support a diverse range of species. I will now be writing to Carl Sargeant AM, the minister responsible for the Environment in Wales to request a meeting to discuss this important issue.”

Howard Davies, chief executive of the National Association of Areas of Natural Beauty, said the moorlands of Wales are strategic national assets filtering the water we drink, supporting our farming, trapping carbon, and providing open spaces for exercise, inspiration and relaxation.

“They are home to some of our rarest wildlife and whilst they have an unspoilt sense of naturalness and remoteness found in few other areas they are actually living working places formed by centuries of endeavour and kept alive by farmers/land managers under careful management.”

Mr Davies believes a landscape scale approach is fundamental in bringing the moorlands and their wildlife back into good health.

“Focusing on isolated pockets of habitat will not work,” he said.

Karen added: “We must understand that these moors are not viable today and are in many cases are more of a liability. They need managing. In England and Scotland they have commercial shoots to keep them going but in Wales it will take years to establish any type of such activity. We need to put the energy in now when we have the practitioners on the ground ready.”

Mike has noticed an increase in grouse numbers by 200 per cent or more since a full-time game keeper was appointed a couple of years ago.

For more information or to discuss benefits for how your upland could benefit, call Catherine Hughes on 01547 317085/07815 103855 or email catherine.hughes@cla.org.uk