Consultation 'critical' for golden eagle release

Charities and organisations across northern England have welcomed the government's support for the reintroduction of golden eagles, but say "consultation is critical" to its success.

A Forestry England study identified eight areas suitable for a release including the North Pennines, the Cheviots in Northumberland and the Lake District.

The Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds has approved £1m of additional funding for a programme which could see juveniles released as early as summer 2027.

Chris Woodley-Stewart Director of the North Pennines National Landscape said it was "exciting news", but he wants to see farmers and landowners "fully engaged in how any re-introduction might take place".

"Of course we want to maximise the biodiversity of the North Pennines, but these are the people that own and manage the land and it's critical they're on board too," he said.

Golden eagles were wiped out in England and Wales by the mid-19th Century, mainly due to persecution by those who saw them as a threat to livestock or game birds.

Dr Cat Barlow, CEO of the charity Restoring Upland Nature, will lead a public consultation into a release alongside Forestry England.

"The first thing will be talking to the people who live and work in that landscape, the game-keepers, the shooting estates, the farmers, the foresters," she said.

She explained a release site needed to be "quiet and away from people" and where the local community is "behind it".

"But there are a lot of steps to go through," she added.

"We're not rushing into this, the key is to do it properly."

Many of the eight possible release areas have moorland used for driven grouse-shooting, a traditional field sport where red grouse, which golden eagles eat, are driven towards shooters by beaters.

Andrew Gilruth, chief executive of the Moorland Association, which represents landowners in upland areas in England and Wales, claimed the government's backing for the project suggested the go-ahead was "already a foregone conclusion".

"If you want to win the hearts and minds of the people on the ground, you have to talk to them first," he said.

"A similar project in southern Scotland was an exemplar on how to do it.

"It was absolutely brilliant but now this consultation feels tokenistic."

While Barlow is clear no decision has been taken about any first possible release site, wildlife charities are hoping for the golden ticket.

Mike Pratt, CEO of Northumberland Wildlife Trust, thinks England's most northerly county "must be up there with a good chance".

"They are seen here regularly already, so it seems like a nature progression.

"Consultation is important but I really think it's one of those species people would like to see in Northumberland, I think it's time."

Martin Varley from Cumbria Connect, a nature recovery programme made up of landowners, farmers and conservationists, is similarly hopeful for a return of the iconic species to a county with a "community memory of golden eagles".

"If you bring things back that people remember being there it's so much easier," he said.

But Varley acknowledged that the number of visitors to the Lake District may be "a concern" and the Forestry England report does note "levels of recreation are likely to restrict nesting opportunities", particularly around Ambleside and Keswick.

Barlow hopes in time there will be golden eagles in all the eight areas identified as suitable and said the commitment from government is "a big step".

"I'm from County Durham, I remember as a child going to watch the golden eagles at Haweswater and it was a magical experience.

"It's a species that can live here, should be there and we as humans have eliminated, but now I think there's a real appetite to have them back."