Wild Herds May Stampede Across Britain

A About 800,000 hectares of Britain have been identified as places where traditional farming could be replaced over time by wilderness nature reserves, possibly inhabited by vanished species such as elk, moose, beaver and wild horse. The radical vision of developing large-scale conservation areas and linking them via ecological corridors to allow herds of animals to roam across hundreds of miles is proposed as a relatively inexpensive way to revitalise the large areas expected to become uneconomic to farm during the next fifteen years as European Union subsidies are progressively cut.

B The proposals, drawn up by a group with extensive experience of such projects, have been presented to the Treasury and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. They are also being taken seriously by many big wildlife groups and landowners. The National Trust, the Forestry Commission, the WWF and the RSP8 are said to be enthusiastic about the scale of the areas envisaged.

C The areas tentatively put forward by the Wilderness Foundation for "re-wilding" are mainly in upland areas with farms that are only marginally economic. They include the isles of Arran and Harris, the central Cairngorms, Glen Affric and the Knoydart peninsula in Scotland, and the Brecon Beacons, Elan Valley, Plynlimon and $nowdonia in Wales. In England, parts of the Lake District, the North York Moors and the Pennines are proposed, along with wetland areas such as the Essex marshes and the Fenlands.

D "Large natural habitat areas offer significant alternative livelihoods to landholders and local communities," said Toby Ayckroyd of the Wilderness Foundation, which has also discussed the proposals with the government nature adviser English Nature, and its counterparts in Wales and Scotland. "A series of large interlinked natural wild lands is now entirely practical in Britain. Many large areas of farmland will become uneconomic for agricultural production over the next 20 years"

E The charity, which has worked with the world's largest conservation groups to develop wilderness areas in South Africa and elsewhere, says there is growing public and official interest in the economic value of wild places and the social benefits which they can generate. Some of the proposals are based on the experience gained in South Africa. "We do not envisage that anyone would have to be moved" Mr Ayckroyd said. "There would be core areas where people would not be encouraged to go, as well as inner and outer buffer zones, but there would be no restrictions put on access "The charity believes there is great potential for communities to earn money from international ecotourism.

F "If Britain is seen to be re-establishing wild places, and moreover for economic as well as conservation reasons, then rich country proposals for preservation of diminishing habitat and vanishing species in the third world would carry significantly more credibility" Mr Ayckroyd said. The idea of large-scale conservation areas was this week backed by several organisations. "It's imperative to think big. We certainly agree with the idea of thinking on the large scale, though we do not see herds of bison roaming around Britain" says Catherine Huirn, the nature conservation adviser to the National Trust, which is allowing a valley in Ennerdale, Cumbria, to revert to a wild state and is also working on large-scale ecological restoration projects in Snowdonia and the Fens with others.

G One of the models for future British wilderness areas is Oostvaardersplassen, 30 miles from Amsterdam in Holland, where about 5,600 hectares (14,000 acres) of valuable, reclaimed land has been turned with government assistance into Europe's largest conservation experiment. An area once slated for industrial development is now roamed by more than 1,600 deer, as well as primitive descendants of Europe's original wild hor