Deer are important species in the National Park, providing income, employment and enjoyment. However, we need to reduce the impacts of deer and other herbivores in key areas of the National Park to enable peatland and woodland work to proceed at the scale necessary to meet our climate and nature commitments. In particular, we need to reduce deer numbers where they are having a significant impact on existing habitats or preventing beneficial habitat change.

As an example, on peatland restoration sites with deer densities of between ten and 12 per km2, we regularly see negative impacts and damage to restoration work. Given the scale of the task, the sensitivity of peat to trampling and the slow-growing nature of our upland vegetation, it is difficult to conceive how we can restore significant areas of eroded peat without deer reductions. Fencing many of these areas would be impossible and, even if it were possible, the compensation culls associated with the fencing would be very large.

An average deer density across a deer management group area of five to eight per km2 will allow for differences within a deer management group area for ecological restoration, sport shooting and so on, whilst helping to deliver the overall objectives of the Partnership Plan.

There is a need to deliver public interest priorities (peatland restoration, woodland creation etc) alongside private interests and build on the work to reduce deer numbers and impacts already happening in the National Park. We also need to consider how best to support estates to deliver deer management targets and how best to support stalking employment and the skills that will be needed to do this work over the long-term.