Wild Views and Open??

This promises to be tedious but it has to be done to stand up to the bureaucratic vested interests represented by SWT's (SRWT's) ghastly daft DRAFT plan. More will follow but the first to be put up for examination here is Section 6.3.4     My inserted comment highlighted so.

6.3.4 Habitats, vistas and views The impression of wilderness, freedom and adventure provided by the mixture of open space, dense woodland, deep hidden valleys and unmarked paths, is a significant part of the attraction that Blacka Moor has for its visitors (see the Vision at the beginning of the management plan). During the most recent public consultation (autumn 2014) reserve users again affirmed their support for the site to be kept ‘as it is now’, listing the mosaic of habitats, rough paths and tracks and views over, and out from, the site over the city, as features integral to their enjoyment.

SWT is again telling us that people want what they want and they have lied about this before.
We know that  their survey was corrupt because it was anonymous. At the only meeting I attended there were more people from SWT and other conservation groups than independent members of the public. I know - I asked for a raising of hands. It was easy for anyone from SWT to submit multiple responses to their online survey and they themselves assessed the answers received. They have a reputation for this kind of fraud. Even then 'as it is now' can be interpreted many ways.

The shift from moorland to woodland over parts of the reserve has caused concern amongst some users. Many walkers, particularly women who visit the reserve alone or in female-only groups, value the open areas of the reserve, which offer good visibility and so feel unthreatening to explore. Although the risk of assault in country areas is significantly less than in urban ones, many surveys have shown that fear of attack inhibits some women from exploring rural areas generally, and woodlands in particular. Several current reserve users have stated that they plan their routes to incorporate as much of the open areas as possible, and actively avoid more enclosed areas.

Hard to believe they are still making themselves ridiculous by using this desperate argument about women and open areas. What about these 'many surveys' that never get referenced when this daft argument comes up? And these 'many women'? Has this any more force than my saying that many women I know tell me this is nonsense - because that is exactly what I hear. SWT staff should grow up and not use this absurdity to justify what they want to do. Does this anyway get cancelled out by those who fear cows, that cause more deaths in Britain than wolves across the whole of Europe?

Management of the reserve will therefore:

Protect and conserve the ‘wild and natural’ landscape and open views of the nature reserve.

This will involve the active control of birch and bracken on the heathland as these have been identified as elements that detract from people’s enjoyment of the reserve – birch because it blocks open views and vistas and gives a feeling of enclosure, and bracken because it displaces more attractive and wildlife-rich habitat, blocks paths and is unpleasant to walk through.

You absolutely cannot conserve a wild and natural landscape by cutting down and poisoning native wildlife. People who say this cannot expect their word to be trusted on anything. 
As for the weasel words "have been identified" !! By whom for G's sake? This ghastly document is littered with examples of attempts to mislead by using unspecific and unreferenced claims to justify a policy that is being undertaken for other reasons than those stated. The kind of thing is "many women" say, "many walkers".... "many surveys"...... Somewhere I'll soon find "It's widely believed that"...., and "It is acknowledged that"....