Saturday 5 May 2007

Fire Risk

The long spell of dry weather has caused worries about fire. Interestingly the section of the eastern peak district moors on the other side of this gate has now been closed.





Blacka Moor remains open. Is that because Blacka is a greener landscape with young trees and luscious bilberry shrubs? Perhaps there is a lesson here. Heather moorland in its 'pure', grouse-moor form seems to give rise to more problems than when it is allowed to become more 'natural' and green.

ADDENDUM 7th May
Probably one reason that Blacka has not had similar notices is because of the different status of the land. The moorland with notices is defined as 'access land' under the CROW act. Blacka already had conferred rights of access before this by virtue of the 'public pleasure ground' definition in the Graves Covenant.

Whatever the reason some caution should be taken on Blacka because despite the greener nature of much of the site, the dead bracken is much drier than I've ever seen it.

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