A DRAMATIC reduction in animals grazing on Dartmoor has led to overgrown vegetation leaving large areas of the moor virtually inaccessible, it was claimed this week. The gorse rampage on the moor which is obstructing many beauty spots and archeological sites is now the number one concern of many hill farmers, ramblers and Dartmoor lovers, groups and societies. In the last eight years there has been a 50% reduction in ponies, sheep and cattle grazing the moor — farmers were offered large subsidies by Defra to reduce their stock and enter a stewardship scheme for environmentally sensitive areas. But the increase in vegetation, usually consumed by grazing animals, is doing more harm than good, according to spokesman for the Dartmoor Livestock Protection Society Tom Anderson. 'Defra's subsidies to take animals off the moor have made many areas unwalkable and unrideable,' he said. 'Twenty years ago you could ride three abreast but now you cannot even walk single file across some areas. 'The sheep are now in their hundreds rather than in their thousands and there used to be 30,000 ponies — now there are under 1,000. The ponies, cattle and sheep keep the moor in good condition. 'Dartmoor has been grazed and farmed for hundreds of years but it is now going to rack and ruin. It could take up to 50 years for the moor to return to normal.' The issue was the subject of a debate by the Dartmoor Society last autumn. Chairman Tom Greeves said any opportunity for research on the pre-history of Devon was being stymied by the obstruction of historical features. 'There is no doubt that the whole experience of being on the moor is radically changing, but for hill farmers the situation is much more serious.' Chairman of the Devon branch of the National Farmers' Union Paul Griffiths said complaints from environmentalists had led to the reduction of livestock on the moor. 'There was concern that the land was being overgrazed and plants like heather were being grazed out so farmers were encouraged to reduce their stock numbers,' he said. 'The situation was exaggerated by the payment system and the sheer lack of income from the market place for livestock.' He said it only took three or four years for the land to revert to wilderness and become inaccessible but the authorities had failed to listen to the local people. 'The countryside has to be managed — it does not look after itself and this is a message that has really failed to get through to the people in authority.' Spokesman for Defra Walim Wong said the environmental sensitive area scheme was put in place to improvement the environment: 'It was about creating fire breaks and restoring stone walls and farming in an environmentally sensitive way,' he said. 'Farmers did not have to sign up to it but most realised the financial and environmental benefits.' The scheme is now managed by Natural England which provides a £2-million capital payment and funds £10-million in payments to Dartmoor's farmers each year. Spokesman Eamon Crowe said part of the money was intended to be used on managing vegetation on the moors. Since 1994, when the scheme was set up, the environment had recovered in terms of dwarf vegetation like heather and western gorse but management of that habitat had become less apparent over the last two or three years, he said. 'The ESA scheme allows 10,000 animals on the moors and there are currently between 6,000 and 7,000 so the farmers are not putting out the animals they are entitled to.' He said the decline in the number of farmers, the foot and mouth crisis and the Government's new single payment were contributory factors in the decrease in animal numbers. 'Managing the land is not down to animal grazing alone - swaling and other work must be carried out to keep it in good condition.' If anyone has concerns about overgrown vegetation they should call Natural England on 01392 352000.