During this year’s Hen Harrier Day broadcast, Wild Justice launched a new ‘e-action’ allowing members of the public to easily contact their local parliamentary representative and ask for reform in the uplands.
How does this e-action work?
Well, Wild Justice has written the text of a letter (see below), in this case asking for uplands that work for people, for climate and for wildlife. Members of the public can simply enter their postcode in to the search box and the software will identify the person’s elected member of parliament, whether that be in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.
By clicking ‘continue’, you’ll get to read the letter and have the opportunity to click another button which will automatically send the letter to your local politician.
Wild Justice’s aim is for every single politician in all four parliaments to receive at least one letter on this subject. So far, over 14,000 letters have been sent and almost every single politician has received at least one from one of their constituents (see here).
Here is the text of the letter being sent:
I am writing to you to ask you to speak up for our uplands.
In the face of a nature and climate emergency, we need uplands that work for people, for the climate and for wildlife.
Ahead of this autumn’s international meetings on climate and biodiversity, I would like to ask you to make a new commitment to the precious upland landscapes of Britain.
As the person who speaks for me in parliament, can I ask you to stand up for uplands that work for:
People: We need a better deal for residents, workers, landowners, visitors and taxpayers. Our hills should provide benefits for all. We need to see more sustainable economic activity, reduced flood risk and responsible land ownership. They should benefit our health and wellbeing, as beautiful places to relax and enjoy the scenery and wildlife.
Climate: We need you to help uplands reach their potential as huge, natural carbon stores; they are key to helping us tackle climate change in a sustainable way. The return of natural woodlands and bogs in prime condition will deliver that vision and bring wildlife back. The uplands are our largest carbon bank – let’s invest in them.
Wildlife: We need to reverse decades of de-wilding and put the wildlife back into the uplands. We need to diversify landscapes, restore a mix of habitats and shift away from over-burning, over-draining and overgrazing.
At the heart of this, we must see an end to the persecution of our raptors. The brutal killing of Hen Harriers must stop. The killing of Golden Eagles, Peregrines, Buzzards and Goshawks must stop. Our uplands are not uplands without raptors thriving alongside a wealth of wildlife in a functioning ecosystem.
The absence of Hen Harriers from so many of our upland landscapes, including many of our National Parks, symbolises how wrong the current situation is. Protected wildlife is being removed by criminals engaged in unsustainable land management. We cannot be proud of the uplands whilst wildlife crime is rife.
I am asking you as my political representative to commit to this new vision for the uplands of Britain: for people, for the climate and for wildlife.
ENDS
If you haven’t yet signed the e-action and you’d like to do so, please CLICK HERE to send a strong message backed by thousands of others who think the same. Thank you.
Raptor Persecution UK 
Ha! I have written to my MP – Julian Smith, whose constituency includes Nidderdale which has featured here previously. Despite a number of letters asking him to make a public statement condemning raptor persecution he has failed to do so. I note he turns out for the Countryside Alliance when he and they can get good publicity. To be clear, I didn’t vote for him.
Hi Nick,
Of all the politicians in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, Julian Smith MP has so far received the most number of letters from his constituents (67 and counting – see here: https://wildjustice.org.uk/general/update-on-e-action-do-you-live-in-redcar/ )
Keep writing to him. That way he can’t claim it’s not an issue of concern for his constituents.
Thanks Ruth, that’s interesting. The difficulty is that with a majority like his he doesn’t need to bother. But the voting system is a different debate!
I would like to know how many of, or what area of these moorlands were ‘Enclosed’ by Acts of Enclosure in the hundreds of years that land (and river) rights were appropriated/stolen by the aristocracy. It seems to me that “rewilding” or “afforesting” 50-75% of this area leaving the mire and more important bits of heather moor is an appropriate part of a coherent response to the climate emergency; it is also an Act of reparative land and ecological justice ?
100% agree: time to repeal all of the Enclosures Acts – theft legalised by the thieves.