National Sheep Association (NSA) chief executive Phil Stocker has recently been appointed as the inaugural independent chair of the new Dartmoor Land Use Management Group (DLUMG) by Minister Daniel Zeichner.

In this role, Stocker will report directly to the secretary of state, overseeing the group established in response to last year’s (2023) independent inquiry into Dartmoor’s land management practices.

The DLUMG is tasked with shaping and implementing a comprehensive land use strategy for Dartmoor, a globally significant landscape. Additionally, the group will monitor and guide the application of 25 recommendations that emerged from the inquiry.

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Stocker said: “I feel honoured to have been appointed to this role and am looking forward to the challenge of working with the many varied stakeholders who will form this group, whose collective views will be paramount for the future successful land management of Dartmoor.

“I hope to bring extensive experience gained from personal experience as chair of the Black Mountains Land Use Partnership, many years of working in a policy and technical environment, along with practical experience of conservation management and of course farming and food production to the role.

“These are difficult times with serious challenges ahead but I am enthusiastic about the opportunity to bring people and views together in a much loved area of South West England where multi functionality is desperately needed.” he added.

Although Stocker’s position with DLUMG is separate from his work with NSA, the association sees this role as complementing its future aspirations, as outlined in its recent report ‘Sheep Farming and the Sustainability Agenda’. The report emphasises the necessity for proactive ownership of environmental, economic and social challenges, underscoring sheep farming models as vital components of sustainable solutions.

Stocker said: “Farmers have been, and must continue to be, central to Dartmoor’s future. We can build on the work of generations of farmers that have helped to maintain this special landscape but this doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t expect change.

“Change can be positive, providing people are prepared to engage and work to a shared vision.

“Decisions will need to be made that will affect the future of this vast area of common land but these will be based on real, honest evidence, reviewed by the group to produce a clear vision and action plan of what is needed to be achieved.”