A criminal investigation is under way after a cluster of young willow trees planted on Prince William’s Dartmoor estate were deliberately poisoned with a powerful herbicide – an act described by conservationists as “sabotage” and “deeply disturbing”.
The story, first reported by The Guardian, concerns a restoration scheme on Duchy of Cornwall land designed to stabilise peat, lock in carbon and reduce flood risk on the high moor. The saplings, planted within fenced enclosures on a Site of Special Scientific Interest, were intended to help halt the long-term degradation of Dartmoor’s peatlands.
But experts now believe the trees were sprayed with glyphosate, a widely used weedkiller that is fatal to young growth. All the willows in the project area have died, prompting anger among environmental groups and renewed scrutiny of long-running tensions over Dartmoor’s management.
Natural England confirmed that it has launched an inquiry but said it could not comment further while the investigation is active.
Guy Shrubsole, environmental campaigner and author of The Lost Rainforests of Britain, told The Guardian: “This is sabotage aimed squarely at efforts to revive Dartmoor’s ecosystems. The commons are already almost entirely bare of trees. To see even these modest restoration attempts attacked is profoundly alarming.”
He called for a united condemnation from farmers, graziers and conservation bodies, warning that Dartmoor was at “a decisive moment” in determining whether the landscape can be revived.
The Duchy of Cornwall said it was “dismayed” by the poisoning. Emma Magee, the Duchy’s head of communities and nature, stressed that woodland expansion and peat recovery remained central to its long-term plans. “This action does not reflect the shared commitment of Dartmoor’s community to restore and protect this landscape,” she said.
The South West Peatland Partnership, which funded the planting, described the act as an assault on the very people working to repair Dartmoor’s fragile habitats. A spokesperson said the affected areas would be replanted “as soon as practically possible”, adding that using herbicide on protected ground “is an attack on all those who live, work and depend on these moorland environments”.
Local authorities and conservation groups are now appealing for information as efforts continue to identify those responsible. The poisoning has reignited a wider debate over land use on Dartmoor, where environmental restoration, agricultural livelihoods and public access frequently collide.
