RE (Game shooter defends fieldsports after cat and fox found near snares at Bolton Abbey, Craven Herald, March 4).

As much as Simon Grace tried to defend this sport it just seems antiquated near feudal and irrelevant.

Gamekeepers in most cases earn fairly modest salaries of £20k and the under-keepers earning in the region of £11k which is below most locally average earnings. Quite often their income is topped up by providing tithed accommodation which on leaving their jobs they would have to vacate.

I don’t think this puts them or their families in a particularly strong position and perpetuates a deferential employee/employer relationship.

The real question is, is the best use of the moorland or can it be turned into a real economic powerhouse for rural communities and their owners?

I believe it can and the climate crisis is going to provide an opportunity to do so.

Burning moorlands is damaging the environment and whilst it may be great for grouse it’s not really good for us as it destroys peat bogs and peat production and releases vast amounts of carbon into the atmosphere apart from destroying the habitat.

Arable farmers use to burn wheat stubble but environmentally it was recognised as damaging so why allow burning of moorlands?

If we re-wilded a substantial amount of moorland and used them for carbon capture by reforestation/ re-wilding it would immediately create well paid jobs creating and managing these new areas.

Ultimately if we are going to save the planet there is going to have to be some sort of carbon tax for all of us. If you are fortunate enough to own these moorlands and they are capturing carbon they will be income generating.

There are all sorts of other benefits that would accrue apart from carbon capture such as slowing the rate at which rainfall runs off the hills and ends in our river system.

We would reduce the risk of flooding and cost of rebuilding flooded communities.

So my answer to Mr Grace is I want to see more economic sustainable well paid jobs on these moorlands estates. Ones which provide future generations with decently paid work and a chance of reversing the climate crisis which threatens all of us.

Finally, it’s fantastic news about Craven District Council’s plans to plant thousands of trees this year.

The committee advising the government has advised that over 3 Billion trees needed to be planted to mitigate the affects of the climate crisis. We need to crack on with this

Simon Desborough

Settle