The rights are quite specific and technically may not be traded, being attached to a property rather than a person. The right holders are listed in the Commons Register and no one may interfere with the lawful activities of commoners. As fewer people have livestock, more commons are now cut for hay or silage although there is no specific right to do this. It is better for nature conservation if hay cutting takes place than if there is no grazing or cutting at all. A. Nobody has a duty to do this, but the owner or, in the case of unclaimed commons, the local authority, can take action.
Some commons have a commoners group that arrange stocking levels.
A. No, they have no responsibility to exercise their rights, only the right to do so if they wish. Unfortunately this has led to some commons suffering from lack of management which has degraded their importance for nature conservation. No, there is no right to do this. This is why so many of our grassland commons still have a great variety of wild flowers. It is also why they are not used for arable cultivation.