George Monbiot, environmentalist and journalist, addressed members of the Federation of Cumbria Commoners on Friday 7th March at Newton Rigg College as part of their 10th Aniversary AGM.
The meeting was well managed, giving Mr Monbiot the opportunity to address the commoners before being joined on the top table by a panel of speakers, including Julia Aglionby, the Foundation's Executive Director, to take questions. Despite taking a position very far away from any of the farmers in the room, the commoners showed Mr Monbiot a great deal of respect and listened carefully to his opinions.
Mr Monbiot claimed the deforestation of the uplands and stocking sheep on the hills increased flood risks. He added deforestation and grazing caused an ecological disaster was directly related to a lack of wildlife on the hills. He said he was not advocating forcing people off the hills to rewild, or return the hills to something more like their natural state, but he would like to see incentives to support rewilding. On previous occasions he has described the Lake District as "one of the most depressing landscapes in Europe", arguing its "celebrated fells have been thoroughly sheepwrecked" and that there is "more wildlife in Birmingham".
The trouble with Mr Monbiot's comments about the Lake District is that he has picked on the one National Park which is 28% common land, has a strong cultural heritage associated with the farming practices and where farmers are improving areas for wildlife, but in a managed way rather than 'let it go' rewilding. Almost all commons are are in stewardship schemes and new woodlands are being planted. The farmers are working in partnership to continue to enhance all the National Park's special qualities.
The Foundation believes that we should exclude commons from any opportunity mapping exercise for rewilding as they have a strong cultural value and complex management delivers multiple benefits. But commons are only 3% England, 8% Wales and 5% Scotland.
Also see the Federation of Cumbria Commoners webiste to read other reports on Mr. Mobiot's talk.
