Letter in Sunday Independent May 6th. Heritage Bill is a threat to wildlife Sir - Conservationist and wildlife protection groups, including An Taisce, are outraged at the Government's proposed Heritage Bill that will allow burning of vegetation in March and an extension of hedge-cutting to August. Currently, hedge-cutting and burning of vegetation in upland and lowland hills are prohibited between March 1 and August 31. Rightly so - as to do otherwise would severely endanger breeding birds and adversely affect bees that feed on gorse. Sensitive habitats would be ravaged to the detriment of wildlife. Not that such a toxic proposal surprises me. A few months from now, the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht will grant a blanket licence to coursing clubs to capture hares. Every hare snatched from its natural habitat will be subjected to the terror and trauma of a contrived chase. Politicians who endorse hare coursing are hardly likely to worry about bees or yellowhammers being smoked out of their habitats, or shredded by strimmers. In June 2016, 114 TDs voted to retain this so-called "sport" - and we expect these same politicians to spare a thought for the birds and the bees? John Fitzgerald, Callan, Co Kilkenny