Lost and Now Found?

We should really go down on our knees and celebrate the conversion of those who have previously set their faces against the true path. Cynicism is not pretty and the bad guy in the bible story is the one who won't believe his brother's transformation.

Still the feeling persists that this could be a mere PR exercise, even responding to criticism arising from the current Flood Protection consultation. The wording is very PR sounding and carefully chosen.

Questions abound.

How large an area, what proportion of the moors and where exactly? It's notable that the planting  illustrated is close to some groups of trees already there. Meanwhile there are huge areas of the Eastern Moors where there are no trees at all. Would they be planning to reintroduce native trees there, a place crying out for ecological restoration? Somehow I doubt it.

Is this compatible with the sheep and cattle grazing that goes on or have they chosen a smallish area, off the beaten track, which they can give over to this to satisfy critics, leaving the largest section treeless and grazed by farm livestock?

Are they being open and transparent about this, and will they respond to questions and scrutiny?


But we must not be disbelievers. We must trust them. Why not?