‘HOW nice of Mary Alford (‘View from the Gate’ January 28) to remind us that “without livestock grazing … the moor would become a wilderness.”  What a delightful prospect!’ — This is the ‘ vision ‘ of George Monbiot that Robert Cooper visualises through the Tavistock Times.

‘To these returning forests we could reintroduce animals that have been wiped out across much or all of this land: capercaillies, wildcats, pine martens, eagles, lynx, moose, bison, even, in the Scottish Highlands, wolves. Aside from the opportunities this rewilding presents for re-enchanting our lives, experience elsewhere in Europe suggests that eco-tourism has a far higher potential for employment, for supporting communities, for keeping the schools and shops and pubs and chapels open than sheep farming does.’ I suggest to Mr Monbiot there are no arguments for wilding.

1. We cannot manage our existing woodlands, let alone spend yet more money, which we have not got, planting potentially productive agricultural land with any species of tree, which will not compare with otherwise vital food production. George does not talk about the inevitable wild fires, which we must avoid.

2. Poor quality land does not produce profitable forestry.

3. Grazing animals in large numbers stop soil degradation and loss through erosion.

4. Modern varieties of grasses and many existing ones have very effective root systems for storing water — far more than tree plantations.

5. Dung, urine, bacteria, invertibrates, insects, all encouraged by livestock, are crucial for a whole cycle of life at different soil levels and provide the vital insects to feed the chicks of birds at the time when chicks need that easily accessed source of food.

6. Dartmoor has been wilded since 1998 at a cost to the taxpayer of £132-million with absolutely no benefits – see Natural England Charge Sheet — now a serious wild fire risk In reality no productive trees, no heather, no farmers.

Perhaps Robert does not listen to national news? Parts of Africa are starving, the farmers have lost their cattle through drought and need food from Europe.

New research has revealed that conifers are a detriment to global warming. If trees can play a part reducing global warning they need to be established in high rainfall areas of the tropics where they will grow and mature for 365 days per year.

Deciduous trees as in Wistman’s Wood grow over hundreds of years.

Dartmoor has been wilded by Natural England’s guidance for farmers to remove stock for the winter which has led to areas of gorse, Molinia and bracken several feet high. Stock numbers have been reduced by 60% including popular Dartmoor ponies that will graze and reduce areas of Molinia. Single suckler calf rearing cows used to trample gorse and bracken in the winter exposing roots to frost to weaken it.

Mixed grazing produces the best swards. Genetics are being improved in the traditional hardy breeds of Shorthorn, Galloway, Highland and Angus crosses to provide beef calves from our upland moors. Beef that is raised on grass, not in a US feedlot, is in great demand for export as well as making the UK more self sufficient with as much as 50% of our food now imported.

The Heather Trust has given Christina Williams an award for keeping her Galloway herd out on Molland Moor every winter and returning the habitat to the way it was 30 years ago with heather returning to the moor.

There are already plenty of wildlife predators that need rigorous control so that ground nesting birds can return to the beautiful Dartmoor landscape.

Fairfax and Lucy Luxmoore

Stoke Damerel

Plymouth