Hedgerows stretch to cover the country (From The Northern Echo)

Hedgerows stretch to cover the country

11:27am Tuesday 8th December 2009

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A TOTAL of 605 miles of hedgerows are being planted by farmers and landowners in the Yorkshire and Humber region.

Funded by agri-environment schemes, the hedgerows, if planted in one straight line, would stretch from Land’s End to John O’Groats.

Thanks to agri-environment schemes in the region, more than 11,000 hectares – over 27,000 acres – of hay meadows are being protected and more than 31,000 in-field trees – more than enough to fill all the seats in Hull City’s KC Stadium.

Eighty per cent of the Yorkshire Dales National Park is under agreement, allowing the restoration of features such as dry stone walls, field barns and hay meadows.

The report from natural England said 6,595 agri-environment agreements operate in the region covering 729,777 hectares (1.8m acres) – more than 67 per cent of the region’s agricultural land.

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