Prince William’s Dartmoor estate faces a new blow as conservationists condemn the deliberate poisoning of young willow trees, calling it “senseless criminal damage”.
The trees, planted on land in the Duchy of Cornwall as part of an ambitious project to curb peat erosion, store carbon and reduce the risk of flooding, have become the target of a criminal investigation, a Natural England spokesperson confirmed, declining to give further details.
Environmental activist and author Guy Shrubsole criticized the attack and said the guardian, “This is an outrageous act of sabotage, which points a dagger at the heart of efforts to restore nature in this part of the country.
The Dartmoor commons are now virtually treeless, a result of centuries of overgrazing by sheep.
“Seeing even these tentative attempts to restore trees subject to deliberate vandalism is deeply disturbing, as is the fact that the culprit has so far not been discovered.”
Experts warn that Dartmoor is at a critical crossroads. “Do we choose to bring this landscape back to life or let it die?” said one activist, highlighting the importance of the moor’s peatlands, which act as vital carbon stores but have suffered decades of degradation due to drainage and burning.
The selected trees were planted to combat erosion, and their intricate root systems anchor the fragile soil and prevent it from being washed away.
Local authorities and environmental groups have expressed outrage at the attack.
The Duchy of Cornwall expressed surprise, with communications manager Emma Magge saying: “We are committed to working with our partners to secure a brighter future for Dartmoor, and this recent action does not represent the Estate community’s collective commitment to achieving this.”
