Hi Chappers,
No such luck :-)

It’s not PR it’s just a different opinion.
The Park authorities don’t pay for the upkeep of the helicopters, they are maintained by the operator just as any other commercial vehicles are. The Park authorities hire the helicopter, presumably on a day rate.
I don’t consider using the right tool for the job to be ‘over the top’ but that’s just my opinion based on what I’ve seen in my own area.

I’d be keen to hear how you would tackle the problem of footpath erosion in areas where access is difficult.
If you use tracked or wheeled vehicles the place would inevitably end up look like ‘a building site’.
If you fail to address the problem of erosion it will and does spread as Hob has mentioned earlier in this thread.
You could close the footpaths altogether, but this is difficult, folk have a right to roam our beautiful moors and uplands, a hard fought for right, and will inevitably create other paths through areas that are perhaps more sensitive i.e. just moving the problem elsewhere.
Helicopters are not used routinely, but for the reasons I gave in my earlier reply, they are an excellent low-impact solution for a difficult problem. These ‘natural areas’ are a finite resource and without sensitive management could be lost forever.

Cheers
fitz