White Tailed Sea Eagles, IOW

One of the main reasons given for the demise.iof many species of birds and animals in the UK was the dash for grants from farmers, when it was in the past decided a good way to expand the productivity of farms would be to grub out  field hedges to make bigger areas to cultivate? 

There was not a big outcry from "country farmers?"against the policy ,to save the wildlife 

That’s a bit defeatist, Fish. Thankfully there is lots we can do and there are many rewilding projects, big and small, up and down the length of our land which are making a difference. You don’t have to be a Canute, just mindful of the ways which are sympathetic to real nature rather than based on whims and greed. It can be done, we just need more resolve and to make more effort! 

All grant schemes are devised by governments,and yes often not for the wider benefit. Grubbing out hedges happened in the lush lowlands not in the rural parts. Likewise the vast planting of Sitka spruce in the 60/70's was a government scheme that only benefitted the tax rich.It was the one most destructive action taken against our wildlife. Now its being made worse as the huge harvesting machines churrn up the soil and peat releasing the " so called captured CO2". We are about to make the same mistake again as big city companies buy up farms to  mass plant with more Sitka creating more deserts and of course grabbing the grants" to offset their carbon footprint". To the previous poster I take it thats OK becase its not farmers doing it.

As stressed, real nature based projects! Oh, and there are some very understanding and forward thinking farmers/land owners out there who firmly believe and act in the very best interests of nature. Nothing in my opinion is okay if it is based on greed, spurious leisure activities which are damaging to wildlife or any activity detrimental to the natural and essential balance of our fauna and flora.

Sorry Fish, I left off the most important sentence. Where on earth do you link Rewilding Projects with those odious monoculture creating grants. They are almost  as bad as those barren grouse moors created in the past where many natural occurring species were eradicated and some still are persecuted. Don’t start me the spraying of toxic lead over such environment though!

So all the fields that were made and enclosed with walls after taking out all the broad leaf trees that covered our country were not done in the name of farming?

Where did you get that idea? Of course they were , funded by us tax payers at the whim of some government department  probably with a vested interest. Likewise a few years later they come upvwith a scheme to replant them, again paid from taxes. It goes on and on with the land owners in the middle. Its always pen pushers or lobbied politicians who keep coming up with these schemes. Just like today the tree planting furore b.Does anyone know where these trees are coming from or which species to plant. I guess not but its good "sound bites".

I can think of an agricultural equivalent of the term 'pen pushers' but I’m far too considerate and polite to use it. Have you never considered the impact of your impolite words, Fish?

Pen pusher or Beaurocrat. Hadly derogatory words. Ive been called worse on here. 

It's the way you use the words as well as the actual words themselves. Debate in a civil manner and people might see your point even if they don't agree with you.