YOUR item 'Moor body calls for pause on work to bogs' (June 20) kindly gave space for some of the concerns of the Dartmoor Society about machine activity in connection with the Mires Project. Regrettably, Dartmoor National Park Authority spokespersons will not address core issues relating to the project, which are the following:

l to claim 'restoration' is scientifically meaningless, as no criteria for a restored bog have been presented

l no relevant evidence-based justification for the project has been submitted to show that Dartmoor bogs are drying out or eroding in a way we would not expect an 8,000-year-old bog to behave

l the naturally developing ecosystems of healthy mires are being interfered with, counter to any precautionary principle.

l the absence of hydrological monitoring (except at Flat Tor Pan) negates any claim of the benefit of 'rewetting'

l none of the areas being 'rewetted' drain into reservoirs from which water is abstracted

l no data gathered from one area has been presented to justify moving machines to another

l the current areas subject to machine work show no evidence of human intervention such as peat digging, and are healthy wet bogs, still growing peat

l the machines cause unsightly and sometimes damaging tracks

l the wild and tranquil character of the wildest landscape in southern England is being compromised by the appearance and activities of large modern machinery, which affects people spiritually and emotionally.

There is much good research work taking place in connection with the project, but the machine activity is not part of this. We maintain that our remote Dartmoor mires are being recklessly interfered with and changed by machine, contrary to all sound principles of conservation. We believe that a pause in the project to allow for rigorous assessment is essential.

Dr Tom Greeves

Chairman

The Dartmoor Society