Managing Moorland for Birds of Prey and Red Grouse

The Final Report of the Langholm Moor Demonstration Project Partners - 2008-2017.

The Langholm Moor Demonstration Project was set up to test whether we could achieve a ‘win: win’, where breeding raptors co-existed with commercial driven grouse shooting. The main objective was “to establish Langholm Moor as a driven grouse moor and to meet the nature conservation objectives for the SPA (Special Protection Area) and SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest)”. The project had four deliverables:
• A demonstration of how to resolve conflicts between moorland management for raptors and red grouse;
• That the hen harrier population would be maintained as a viable component of the SPA;
• That heather moorland habitat would be extended and improved beyond its state in 2002;
• That the number of red grouse shot would be sufficient to ensure the moor reaches a financially viable state.

The conclusions of the report generate more questions about managing the balance of nature and commercial pressures.