The National Trust recently sold 11 hectares of the Miller Beck County Wildlife Site, and by selling at auction to the highest bidder, there was no protection on the land.
The new owner has already canalised much of the beck, which is a spawning ground for salmon and crayfish, and has also dug new field drains and spread lime which is in direct contravention of the Wildlife Trust's management recommendations.
We're calling on the Cumbria Local Sites Partnership members to take action to preserve the Miller Beck County Wildlife Site — and you can help!
Some background
The Miller Beck County Wildlife Site at Staveley-in-Cartmel is 14.4 hectares of valley fen with a series of marshy pastures and meadows on low-lying and peat soils on the floodplain of the Miller Beck and its tributaries at the foot of England's largest lake, Windemere.
Of the 11 different habitats found, the Tall-herb fens, Rush pasture and Habitat mosaics are BAP priority habitats meaning that they have been identified as a priority for conservation. County Wildlife Sites are not protected by law. Their survival depends on owners and managers being sympathetic to the needs of wildlife.
The Cumbria Local Sites Partnership is responsible for monitoring and protecting the Millerbeck County Wildlife Site. The partnership membership includes Cumbria Wildlife Trust, Cumbria County Council, Lake District National Park Authorities, District Councils, Natural England, Forestry Commission, Environment Agency, and The National Trust.
The National Trust recently sold 11 hectares of the Miller Beck County Wildlife Site, and by selling at auction to the highest bidder, there was no protection on this land.
The new owner has already canalised much of the beck, which is a spawning ground for salmon and crayfish, and has also dug new field drains and spread lime which is in direct contravention of the Wildlife Trust's management recommendations.
More about the County Wildlife Site
County Wildlife sites highlight the key habitats within the countryside, places outside of officially protected nature reserves an SSSIs, which have a rich diversity and provide refuges for a great variety of species
This 14.4 ha site is a valley fen with a series of marshy pastures and meadows on flat low-lying alluvial and peat soils on the floodplain of the Miller Beck and its tributaries. Of the 11 different habitats found, the following are BAP priority habitats - meaning that they have ben identified as a priority for conservation and funding.
- Tall-herb fens have been adversely affected by agricultural intensification over the last 50 years resulting in the reduction and fragmentation of this habitat and as such they are a UK BAP priority habitat
- Rush pasture is of particular importance as herb and species rich fen meadows and rush pastures have become rare due to agricultural improvement, particularly drainage and any extant examples merit protection.
- Habitat mosaics support many different species of flowers and other plants which in turn will provide food and shelter for many different varieties of animals. Large, complex and varied sites are likely to support important insect populations. The mosaic here is a mixture of species rich fens, running water, swamp, rush pasture, secondary semi-natural woodland and semi-improved grassland.