Stackpole Estate

From the One Arch Bridge 051207
The National Trust have launched a consultation exercise about the management of the competing interests in the future management of the Estate. On Wednesday the consultants held a meeting for interested parties. Very few turned up as the notice was in the Western Telegraph published on Friday following which was available on the morning of the meeting.
We are asking people who have historic knowledge of the estate to have their knowledge recorded as NT do not seem to have complete historic information. Stackpole is completely man made, it was last managed according at the start of WW2. there is a conflict between those who know it now and see it in its romantic decay and those who wish to see it restored to its former wildlife value .
To explain what I mean the NT last year dredged a section of the ponds, this was so successful that they propose to continue the process. BUT local people say the must not do so as it will disturb the otters. The area proposed is now almost dry willow carr with a four foot stream running through which floods occasionally, but silts up more each year. We consider that the present vegetation is marginal to support a healthy otter population now and will become less supportive. A lake one hundred feet wide supports a massive population of animals fish and birds which are predated by otters than a four foot wide one foot deep seasonal stream. So dredge the whole area once, the otters travel long distances if disturbed but rapidly reinhabit when the disturbance ceases. If necessary public access can be denied temporarily to adjacent areas to give the otters refuge and reopened for access after the dredging is complete. I can guarantee the the otters will thrive , at the moment they are marginal.
THIS IS WHAT THE DEBATE IS ABOUT