Heather and Moorland Management
The Heather Trust is a champion for Great Britain’s iconic and much loved moorlands. Our moorlands are part of our culture and history and they are home to a unique assemblage of bird and animal species. Many moorlands have protected status, such as Special Protection Area (SPA), Special Area of Conservation (SAC) or Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) because they host a species or plant community that is particularly valued, or for the beauty of the wider landscape, such as Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Moorland is not a single habitat type, but a range of habitats, including dry and wet heath, blanket bog and rough grasslands. MoorIand is characterised by low-growing vegetation and the wildlife and livestock which benefit from its open character.
On a trip to the moors you might expect to see wading birds such as curlew, lapwing, oystercatcher, red and green shank, and golden plover, some of which are dramatically declining in number but have found breeding refuges on moorland, as well merlin, short-eared owls, hen harrier, red grouse, ring ouzel, meadow pipits, field vole, hare and adder, as well as a range of moths, pollinators and other insect life. On some moorland edges black grouse can still be found too.
You will also, of course, find heather (Calluna vulgaris) which flowers spectacularly in late summer, bell heather (Erica cinerea), cross-leaved heath (Erica tetralix), bilberry, cottongrass (hare’s tail and common) and other grasses such as wavy hair grass, flushes of Sphagnum moss, sundew, cranberries and possibly cloudberry, crowberry and juniper. The livestock which graze our moors are also a common sight and these include upland sheep and cattle breeds as well as in some places ponies, such as on Exmoor and Dartmoor.
Globally, heather moorland is rare. It is virtually confined to Britain and Ireland, where in the main it is maintained through cutting, grazing and/or managed burning. In some places such as the far North west of Scotland, moorland is the natural state, but in most areas of Great Britain it would become scrub and woodland without management. As such the Heather Trust is interested in the activities that will enable moorlands to continue to hold their unique place in a mixed mosaic of land uses and types throughout the country, and promotes that those activities should be undertaken in a way that is environmentally sustainable.
Managed Burning
Managed burning should always be done following the relevant country’s statutory code and following good practice guidelines. Information on burning seasons, codes and guidance below.
Scotland: Muirburn
The current Muirburn Code was introduced in 2017, and this version is available from a dedicated website www.muirburn.org.uk. It can also be downloaded as a standalone document.
The 2017 version was produced by a Group established by Scotland’s Moorland Forum that was chaired by Simon Thorp on behalf of the Trust.
Read More
The Muirburn Code
The latest edition of the Muirburn Code came into force in 2017. This brings the Code up to date to reflect the current legislation, regulations and provides up to date guidance. Scottish Natural Heritage is now the lead organisation for muirburn in Scotland.
Features of the Muirburn Code:
Muirburn Code Website
The main source of the Code is the dedicated website: www.muiburncode.org.uk, but it is also available to download as a PDF from this website, and also from the Muirburn Licensing page of the SNH website. The format of the Muirburn Code may be developed, and links to other information updates, but the main content has been produced with a view to changes not being required, unless there are changes to regulation, legislation or guidance.
Supplementary Information
The latest version of the Code was published with Supplementary Information. The intention is that the range of this information is expanded to meet the needs of practitioners and updated with new information as this comes available. This information could include such information as sources of equipment, more details about fire science, and advanced muirburn techniques.
Out of Season Licences
A licensing system to allow burning out of season for specific purposes was introduced by the Wildlife and Natural Environment 2011 Act. A licence will only be granted in exceptional purposes in relation to the stated purposes of: conserving, restoring, enhancing or managing the natural environment, for research or for public safety, and. See Muirburn Licensing
September Muirburn Trial
The possibility of extending the muirburn season into September is being considered. The justification for this would be to take the pressure of the more sensitive period at the end of the muirburn season, when some moorland birds are likely to have started nesting. September could also be a good time to burn, as the conditions on the hill can be better at the end of the summer. This makes it easier to entice people out to help with the work.
There is no information about the possible benefits or impacts that might arise from such an extension and the September muirburn trial has been set up by SNH to gather data. In 2012, eight estates were identified and a monitoring protocol was agreed. However, wet weather in September only allowed 3 estates to carry out any burning. The original plan was to carry out baseline monitoring of trial plots before any burning took place and then monitor the plots every two years.
The results of the trial are due to be published during 2018.
Burning under the Scottish Rural Development Programme
This programme is now closed to new entrants, but those in the scheme are required to draw up a muirburn plan before carrying out any burning under the SRDP.
Guidance about the detail that must be included in the plan is available on the Muirburn & Heather Swiping page of the SRDP website. This introduces the curious requirement for fires to be no more than 20m wide. As far as we are aware this is not based on evidence and appears to be a regulatory whim. The introduction of a heather-swiping season that ends on 15 April, each year, is also not based on any regulation or legislation. The links to the Muirburn code and its Supplement are now out of date (Jan 2018).
The Moorland Grazings on Uplands & Peatlands option refers to the Muirburn Code for guidance about how to carry out muirburn, but also refers to the restriction on the width of muirburn strips to 20 metres. This is at odds with the guidance Muirburn Code, both the printed, 2011 version and the revised, 2017 version.
England: Heather Burning
The current Heather & Grass Burning Code and associated Regulations came into force on 1 October 2007 and provide guidance and the controls for heather burning in England.
Read More
The Heather & Grass Burning Code for England came into force in October 2007, along with the associated Regulations. The Trust is one of the founder members of the Best Practice Burning Group in England and contributed as part of the Group, to Defra’s review of the Code which resulted in the revised version.
Summary
The 2007 Code and Regulations contain the following features:
• Modern regulation. Reduced red-tape and “light touch” controls were aimed at the responsible majority of practitioners.
• Partnership working. The code is an example of Government working with land managers, and others, to produce a solution which is good for business and good for the environment.
• Benefits for wildlife. A new industry standard was established that incorporated up-to-date advice from experienced land managers on how to burn for the benefit of wildlife.
• Legal protection for soil. The restrictions that were introduced are only likely to affect an irresponsible minority. These aim to protect soils from significant exposure and erosion which can harm wildlife, pollute watercourses and cause carbon to be lost from peat soils.
• Informing Neighbours. The requirement to inform neighbours prior to burning was changed to a need to consult neighbouring land managers and commoners if they might be affected by smoke or fire.
Restrictions
The restrictions that were introduced by the 2007 Code aim to prevent burning:
• outside the burning season.
• on steep slopes, or on exposed rock or scree.
• fires covering an area >10ha; and
• fires that produce an area of bare soil >0.5ha, or an area of bare soil that extends >25m along a watercourse.
Responsibilities
The 2007 Code and Regulations introduced new responsibilities for Natural England. The organisation:
• Became the enforcement agency for all burning issues;
• Became the authority to decide applications to carry out burning activities that would otherwise be banned;
• Was granted the power to require notification prior to burning from people who have not complied with best practice in the past.
Best Practice Guides
Some Guides have been developed and more are planned. These provide specific advice in more detail than is available in the Code, and as the Guides have only been published online, they can be changed easily, when required.
South-West England
In south-west England, heather burning is referred to as swaling, and there is a tradition on the south-west moors of burning on a larger scale. However, all provisions of the Regulations and the Code apply, but a best practice guide that is relevant to this part of the country has been drafted.
Website for Downloads
More information is available on Natural England's website and all documents can be downloaded.
The Heather Trust View
The Trust welcomed the 2007 Code and congratulated Defra on resisting the temptation to increase the level of control exercised over heather burning. The 2007 Code was a triumph for common sense; it could not satisfy everyone’s wishes, but it was a very acceptable compromise.
Defra accepted that the majority of burning follows acceptable practice and the ‘better regulation’ message runs throughout the Code. This places most emphasis on guidance rather than (unenforceable) legislation, and the Code and Regulations provide Natural England with the power to target those who do not comply.
Wales: Heather Burning
In Wales, The current Heather & Grass Burning Code was introduced in May 2008. The associated Regulations shortened the burning season and introduced a requirement to complete a burning plan before carrying out any burning.
Read More
The current Regulations came into effect on 6 August 2008 and they govern the burning of heather, rough grass, bracken, gorse and bilberry (and similar species).
The 2008 Regulations also changed the dates of the burning season in Wales to:• 1 October – 31 March in upland areas (defined as land in the Severely Disadvantaged Area of the Less Favoured Area); and• 1 November – 15 March in other parts of the country.
To burn at others times, a licence must be applied for from Divisional Offices, but licences will only be considered in exceptional cases.
Website for Downloads
Information can be downloaded from the Welsh Government website in English (and in Welsh) and includes:
• a leaflet - Heather & Grass Burning in Wales
• The Heather and Grass Burning Code
• Burning Management Plan for Wales
• The Heather and Grass etc Burning (Wales) Regulations 2008
• Supporting Technical Guidance
• Application to burn out of season
Burning Plans
It should be noted that in Wales that burning plans are mandatory and there is a requirement for practitioners to notify others with an interest in the land on which the burning is to take place, or land adjacent to it, of their intention to burn.
Northern Ireland: Heather Burning
The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has issued separate guidance to cover burning in Northern Ireland.
Read More
Guidance about Heather Management in Northern Ireland is issued by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and it can be downloaded HERE
The dates of the heather burning season in Northern Ireland are yet another variation on a theme: the season runs from 1 September to 14 April, inclusive.
Isle of Man: Heather Burning
The Heath Burning Code provides guidance details of the Regulations for burning heather in the Isle of Man.
Read More
The guidance in the Isle of Man is called the Heath Burning Code, which is issued by the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture (DEFA) of the Isle of Man Government.
The Code was last updated in June 2010 and it can be downloaded from the Government’s Website.
Most of the heathland on the island is registered and a licence is required from DEFA before burning registered heathland.
Grazing
Grazing by livestock is another important way in which moorland can be maintained. Grazing moorland areas requires knowledge and experience to ensure vegetation is neither under-grazed or over-grazed. This requires careful selection of stock suited to upland areas and careful management to move them around the moor. In relatively recent history sheep have predominantly grazed Britain’s moorlands and uplands, but cattle can have added benefits of breaking up dense vegetation with their heavier feet and because they are happier to eat rougher vegetation. As such, there is a move towards reintroducing cattle as a management tool.
The Heather Trust project managed the Graze the Moor Project which was undertaken on The Molland Estate on Exmoor. Graze the Moor was a partnership between The Trust, Molland Estate and tenants and graziers, Exmoor National Park Authority, Natural England, the Countryside and Community Research Institute (University of Gloucester) and David Boyce Ecological Consultant. It sought to monitor the impact of changes to the grazing regime, that included the re-introduction of winter grazing on the moor by cattle. The aim was to test whether keeping hardy cattle on the moor over winter could bring benefits to biodiversity and be economically viable as a farm enterprise. The final project report can be viewed here: Graze The Moor.
Research funded by the Scottish Government and carried out by Robin Pakeman and Andrew Nolan at James Hutton Institute (then the Macaulay Institute) in Aberdeen explores sustainable grazing levels for heather moorland:
Setting sustainable grazing levels for heather moorland: a multi-site analysis
Members' Briefings
We periodically publish briefings on a variety of subjects which are relevant to moorland managers.
These introductory briefings are available below as PDFs and are free for members and visitors to read or download.
Natural Flood Management - Scotland
Updates
Funded Studies
The Heather Trust frequently supports scientific studies into matters which relate to upland management.
You can view them via our Research Publications section on our Reading Room.
Upcoming Work
A nutritional analysis of heather (Calluna Vulgaris) and Sedge (Eriophorum vaginatum)
We are funding the University of York for a 3-year study (2019-2021 inclusive) looking at whether there are differences in the nutritional value of heather (Calluna vulgaris) and sedge (Eriophorum vaginatum) under different moorland management regimes. The study will take place on uncut, mown and burnt plots, with samples taken twice a year over the period of the study. Both plant species are an important food source for various moorland bird and insects species. The key question is whether there are differences in the nutritional value of regrowth under different management regimes (i.e. a burning regime where ash is recycled versus a cutting regime where brash decomposes and is recycled). Comparison will also be made with unmanaged (not cut or burnt) control plots. The study is a discrete piece of work within the larger envelope of the University of York’s Peatland-ES-UK 10 year study.