British farmers are at risk amid a row with Natural England over sheep numbers and their impact on their surroundings.
National England is threatening to pull payments to farmers for protecting and restoring nature at Dartmoor National Park unless they reduce sheep numbers.
The government body argues that constant nibbling by sheep has left the moorland’s vital habitats overgrazed and struggling, and over the years has driven away birds such as curlews, golden plovers and ring ouzels.
But farmers say the payments from National England-run schemes are crucial to business after incomes dropped by 41pc over the past year, as a result of higher costs and a fall in subsidies post-Brexit.
Not only are the sheep crucial for business, but they have also grazed on the moorland for centuries, with one farmer, Helen Radmore, telling the Telegraph she believes the government does not appreciate the public goods provided by farmers.
She said: “Farmers aren’t valued for their historical understanding of commons and how they work.
“This is a way of life. But just because it’s a way of life, we still need business. We can’t live on fresh air. If you’re a tenant, you pay your rent through your productivity. So if you’ve got no livestock, you’ve got no productivity. You can’t pay your rent.”
Under the current agreement, farmers are responsible for maintaining the landscape for visitors, clearing the mediaeval leats that carry water across the moor and monitoring wildfire risk.
Ms Radmore added: “More and more farmers have refused to do the fire training, because, they say, if we can’t graze there, why should we go up there and put the fires out?”
Natural England wrote to farmers announcing its plans earlier this year telling them that sheep numbers would have to be reduced.
The body’s regional director, Dave Slater, told the Telegraph: “These upland habitats are internationally important.
“Despite having agri-environment schemes over the last 30 years, a lot of the habitats have declined significantly. Grazing is not the only factor, but it’s quite an important factor.
“I want to stand here in 10 years and be looking at curlew bubbling away over there. It’s difficult to see how those habitats will ever recover unless we reduce that grazing pressure.”
Around a quarter of Dartmoor is a site of special scientific interest, with the majority of these sites considered to be in poor condition.
