Middle Men

The work to the bridleway at the north west corner of Blacka below Hathersage road seems to have stalled. This was paid for by the Forestry Commission grant recently received. For a few days all was activity, then all stopped with no work being done for more than a week leaving the track worse than before. Doubtless things will begin again but having started why not finish the job?
The story about the wildlife trust in Warwickshire that renovated a bridleway with urban waste including asbestos is appalling.

It should also be a wake up call to those who are responsible for the way the conservation industry functions. Most ordinary people think that these wildlife trusts are out there protecting our countryside and looking after the natural heritage and its animal life. So they are willing to dig hands into pockets and support them by donating alongside gifts to other charities. They are misguided. Wildlife trusts, if SWT is anything to go by, behave for much of the time as an agency or middle man in the conservation economy whose role is that of a deskbound contractor. They pull in the funds, contract the work out, then, when it's being carried out, they are nowhere to be seen. The same applies to the grazier who lives many miles away. Having got him to sign up to the required grazing it's all left to him while they are in their offices chasing more grants. Warwickshire Wildlife Trust in the example referred to did not even know about the materials used; it was up to members of the public to raise the alert.