Prince William launches 20-year plan to 'save' Dartmoor

12 June 2025, 08:51

The Prince of Wales has launched a 20-year restoration project, set to return seasonal grazing patterns and heavily wooded river valleys to Dartmoor.

The plan aims to combat habitat loss and the increasingly dry summers and milder winters.

Met Office projections suggest the Dartmoor will face increased heat stress for crops and livestock in the summer, while winter will see extreme levels of rainfall.

Climate scenarios, that predict 2C of warming, reveal the national park may even stop being suitable for blanket peatland, leading to carbon release and erosion.

The Duchy of Cornwall, the private estate of the heir to the throne, owns 28 per cent of Dartmoor.

Read More: Kate gets hands-on with 'eclectic' exhibits on solo visit to V&A's storehouse

Read More: 'Think big' to save the ocean, Prince William says in plea to world leaders

William has teamed up with the Central Dartmoor Landscape Recovery (CDLR) project on an ambitious plan to support wildlife and aid farmers by re-establishing traditional summer seasons for grazing cattle, sheep and ponies.

The prince's plans would enforce rest and recovery periods for the land so biodiversity can bloom.

In the foreword to the Landscape Vision for Dartmoor, William said that to “keep Dartmoor special we must respond to the twin challenges of global warming and the requirement to restore nature, while ensuring the communities on Dartmoor can thrive”.

He wrote: “Like the thousands of young people who set out on the Ten Tors Challenge each year, knowing your destination is essential before setting off on any journey.

"The Dartmoor Vision provides that destination. It shows us what might be possible and how that might be achieved.

"It is bold and ambitious and something that I hope, by working together, can be delivered for not just the current generation but for generations to come.”

Dartmoor features three of the largest moorland Sites of Special Scientific Interest in England, but none of the moors are in "favourable condition".

Rare birds, such as ring ouzels, golden plover and red grouse in are decline in these areas.

William's project covers 90,000 square miles of the park and involves nearly 40 farmers and landowners.

The 130-page plan included prioritising native species-rich grasslands, restoring peatlands, sheltering rivers with heavily wooded valleys, carrying out large-scale natural flood management, developing the rural skills pool and providing affordable housing for landscape managers and retiring workers, The Times reports.

Matthew Morris, rural director for the Duchy of Cornwall, said Dartmoor agreed “I think we are all agreed things need to change” despite Dartmoor being grazed for a millennia.

“Having hiked a lot of the moor last year myself, parts of it are generally quite barren,” he continued.

“We want the right type of grazing in the right time and right place, particularly bringing cattle back into the mix. There are a lot of sheep but cattle are more effective grazers and create mini habitats.”

The report authors revealed the decline in biodiversity on Dartmoor could be “linked with the loss of nutrient cycling delivered by seasonally large herds feeding on mineral-rich grass for a summer grazing cycle”.

“It is likely that the high moor was not grazed until as late as July or August,” the report continued.

“Changes in farming today may lead to the first break in generational wisdom ever seen. This would be a huge loss considering the time it takes to re-learn extinct ways.”

145,000 sheep, 33,000 cattle, 5,450 ponies and 12,330 other potential grazing units make up the currently held grazing rights on Dartmoor.