UPDATE: Documents related to this project are now available to download here.

The Hen Harrier Recovery Project (HHRP) was established in 2002 by English Nature to improve the status of breeding hen harriers in England.  English Nature’s Council and Executive Committee have emphasised the importance of stakeholder dialogue as a central component in the new phase of the HHRP. 

To find out more about this raptor species, the recovery project and the context of the Hen Harrier Dialogue, please click here for some background information. 

Hen Harrier Dialogue First Main Group Meeting

English Nature, known as Natural England since October 2006, funded a meeting of interested parties in June 2006 to explore the possibility of launching a process of formal stakeholder dialogue to find some common ways forward to resolve the issue of hen harrier population growth and balance it with grouse moor managers’ needs in England.

The meeting acknowledged that different perceptions of the attitudes that exist among parties and having an understanding of what they really are was crucial to furthering discussions on this issue. It was also recognised that discussions on this subject may bring to light other issues, and that experiences from Scotland, Wales and the Isle of Man may also be useful in arriving at some ways forward.

The transcript of the flip chart notes recorded at the June 2006 meeting and the meeting’s summary report can be downloaded in .pdf format by clicking on the appropriate links.

Following this meeting there was enthusiasm and commitment for the process to continue and two groups were set up as part of the Dialogue for further exploration of the issues discussed.  The funding for the meetings of these two groups has been provided by a number of the organisations involved in the Dialogue.

Knowledge Review Group

Draft purpose: To review the known data, theme and prioritise it, recommend action from things that are known and identify gaps for further research. 

Non-lethal Methods/Derogation Group

Draft purpose: To review and identify ways to support and/or inform the current (and potential) studies in diversionary feeding and other hen harrier support mechanisms. To identify what questions would need to be answered, and what conditions met to apply for derogation.  Please note: This does not imply that the group has made a decision to pursue derogation. This aspect of the work is to be clear about the steps that would be necessary.

These groups each met in October 2006 and January 2007. It was then felt that deliberations had reached a point at which the issues could be better progressed by the groups working together. Subsequently, a meeting of the combined Working Groups was held on 31 May 2007. Please click here to read a summary report of the working groups’ progress to June 2007. The combined group met again in October 2007 - please see below for a transcript of this latest meeting.

The group is due to meet again in March 2008.

During the course of their deliberations the working groups have both referenced and generated a range of information to input to their discussions. A list of these documents, and the documents themsleves are now available here.

The transcripts of the flip chart notes recorded at the following working group meeting records are available to download in .pdf format by clicking on the link:

If you have any queries about the Hen Harrier Dialogue then please contact Erica Sutton by email  or by telephone on 020 7632 0117.