FARMERS won high praise from celebrated botanist Prof David Bellamy.

All he could find was good news coming out of farming, with bird populations and other wildlife increasing. If the CAP was used properly, he believed it would lead to a great partnership between farmers and environmentalists.

He said politicians should get on with CAP: "But for God's sake get it back in the hands of farmers, because it was their ancestors who were all farmers who loved the land."

Richard Betton, who farms in Upper Teesdale, said the reforms contained a huge environmental agenda which had more impact more on the hills than any other part of the country.

He felt there were too many environmental organisations, often with different aims. He cited the case of Environmentally Sensitive Areas which had not wanted areas of rushes. Now the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and English Nature actively wanted them back.

He also spoke of the danger of single species groups, such as those wanting to see heather-covered moors. He pointed out that heather only moors had limited biodiversity, whereas a mixture of heather and grasses provided a richer environment and varied wildlife.

He did not want to see the hills become fossilised. "They are an evolving place and have been for hundreds of years," said Mr Betton.

Farmers were constantly being told how they should farm, he said, adding: "Some of my neighbours families have farmed their land for 150 years. They know far more about it and how to farm that land than the agencies that come round telling them how it should be done."

Mr Betton believed under-grazing would be a real problem because of the economic impact of CAP reforms on upland farms and accused some environmental organisations of exaggerating problems of over-grazing.

"There has been some in the hills I admit, but certainly not the blanket overgrazing some organisations have suggested," he said.

A switch from upland cattle to sheep would cause damage simply through the different grazing habits. "I personally think the uplands are a national asset but we have to remember the opposite of urban is not rural, it is wilderness," he said.

Mike Keeble, who farms in Wensleydale, said bracken was already doing enormous damage in the uplands because of the lack of cattle. "Bracken is driving out sheep and birds and the net result is that tourism will suffer because bracken will drive the tourists away," he said.