Prince William’s Dartmoor estate faces another blow as conservationists condemn the deliberate poisoning of young willow trees, calling it “wanton criminal damage”.
The trees, planted on land in the Duchy of Cornwall as part of an ambitious project to curb peat erosion, store carbon and reduce flood risks, have become the target of a criminal investigation, confirmed a spokesperson for Natural England, who declined to provide further details.
Environmental activist and author Guy Shrubsole criticized the attack, saying The Guardian, “This is a disgraceful act of sabotage, which points a dagger at the heart of efforts to restore nature in this part of the country.
Dartmoor’s common land is already virtually treeless, the result of centuries of overgrazing by sheep.
Seeing even these half-hearted attempts to restore trees subjected to deliberate vandalism is deeply troubling, as is the failure thus far to discover the culprit.
Experts warn that Dartmoor is at a critical crossroads. “Do we choose to bring this landscape back to life, or let it die? said one campaigner, highlighting the importance of the moor’s peatlands, which act as vital carbon stores but have suffered decades of degradation from drainage and burning.
The targeted trees were planted to combat erosion, their complex root systems anchoring the fragile soil and preventing it from being washed away.
Local authorities and environmental groups have expressed outrage over the attack.
The Duchy of Cornwall expressed its shock, with communications manager Emma Magge saying: “We are committed to working with our partners to secure a brighter future for Dartmoor, and this recent action does not represent the collective commitment of the estate community to achieve this. »
