WILDLIFE habitats here are allegedly disappearing faster than those in the rainforests of Brazil because of poor management programmes. Environmentalist Vic Froome has criticised the gorse management programme at L’Ancresse Common.

He said a better cutting regime would make the area safer for people, plants, insects and birds and ease concerns about a fire risk. Mr Froome claimed that some parts were dangerous. He was worried about major furze fires last year in Jersey being repeated locally.

‘Guernsey is losing its wildlife habitats in comparison quicker than Brazil’s rainforests,’ he said.

He said that a ‘common sense approach’ was all that was needed. Machines could be used for cutting and a five- to seven-year programme should mean that gorse, scrub and furze would never become a fire hazard. Regular year-round cutting would allow gorse and bracken to grow over and rejuvenate quickly.

‘I cannot guarantee a fire will not occur again, but if one should start, it would not be able to spread far if a regular maintenance programme is adhered to.’

He said that currently there were ‘fires waiting to start’ on the common. Burnt-out areas remove wildlife habitat – he claimed that skylark, wren, Dartford warbler and greenfinch populations at L’Ancresse had been decimated – and become useless ‘bombsites’.

L’Ancresse Commons Council president George Domaille said it was well aware of the danger of gorse fires and had had a management plan for years.

Large areas have been removed, some where property was considered to be at risk, and others are set to go.

He said that gorse and bracken could be cut only during the winter because of nesting birds and seeding flowers and so there were time and cost restrictions on the work that could be done.

Mr Domaille claimed that the wildlife habitat on the common had increased in recent years.

He has invited Mr Froome to walk it with council members later this year. He said that they were more than willing to listen to constructive suggestions.