As a group of leading scientists and practitioners in upland management and socio-ecological impacts, we have growing concerns around misinformation and misconceptions related to the public and policy debates about the British and Irish upland landscapes, including open moorlands.

The hills and moors of the British Isles hold a wide appeal. There are many reasons for this, including their: landscape value; recreational value; conservation value; sporting value and contribution to ‘ecosystem services’. But the pressures for change in the uplands are enormous: from the changing economics of upland farming, to the changing attitudes to shooting estates; from increased recreational pressure, to the imposition of renewable energy infrastructure; from climate change concerns, to views on ecosystem restoration; from individual landownership to community ownership.

The ten principles given here aim to inform the management of the moorland and upland landscapes of Britain and Ireland so that policy and actions are based on evidence-based ecology; they are at a strategic level but, over time, the Future Landscapes Forum hopes to delve down into each principle, expanding each one into a paper in its own right. They should not be seen as the final word, but will be refined in the light of new research and from feedback from policy makers, land managers and other practitioner groups. In fact, we welcome engagement with this process from any interested person or group.