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Remember the battle to save the bogs?
We all thought it had finally come to an end in 2011 with compensation payments for turf-cutters and a prohibition on turf-cutting in SACs.
Sadly this hasn't worked.... https://twitter.com/Irishwildlife/status/1326829682516512768?s=19
We all thought it had finally come to an end in 2011 with compensation payments for turf-cutters and a prohibition on turf-cutting in SACs.
Sadly this hasn't worked.... https://twitter.com/Irishwildlife/status/1326829682516512768?s=19
Mouds Bog in Co. Kildare is one of 57 Special Areas of Conservation which are designated for their unique raised bog habitat. This summer I took a walk around Mouds Bog and thought it strange that the turf bank looked v fresh... as if it had just been excavated by a digger...
Turns out that's exactly what had been happening, even though it's been illegal since 2011.
We made a request to @DeptHousingIRL under Access to Information on the Environment rules for the details...
We made a request to @DeptHousingIRL under Access to Information on the Environment rules for the details...
Turns out quite a lot of turf-cutting has been going on at Mouds Bog, and not only there but at 27 other SAC's in the last 5 years. That's half of all the SACs we have for raised bogs...
All of this is being carefully monitored by the NPWS.
A healthy bog is a unique habitat, can suck up and store a lot of carbon, and can help to regulate floodwater.
Here's the 'high bog' at Mouds Bog SAC. At last count, 0.6% of the original area of active peat remained...
A healthy bog is a unique habitat, can suck up and store a lot of carbon, and can help to regulate floodwater.
Here's the 'high bog' at Mouds Bog SAC. At last count, 0.6% of the original area of active peat remained...
Today that is likely to be much smaller.
Destroying raised bogs in SACs is not only illegal but releases massive amounts of carbon dioxide, pollutes water and drives species to extinction.
Yet the state is carefully documenting this destruction while allowing it to go on...
Destroying raised bogs in SACs is not only illegal but releases massive amounts of carbon dioxide, pollutes water and drives species to extinction.
Yet the state is carefully documenting this destruction while allowing it to go on...
At 12 raised bog SACs there is an EU funded @EULIFE_PROG_IE restoring damage to these SACs.
See http://www.raisedbogs.ie
The state is spending millions in bog rehabilitation.
But why are they not stopping the destruction of the bogs we have?
@noonan_malcolm @DarraghOBrienTD
See http://www.raisedbogs.ie
The state is spending millions in bog rehabilitation.
But why are they not stopping the destruction of the bogs we have?
@noonan_malcolm @DarraghOBrienTD
Some people may remember the Peatlands Strategy, a lot of work went into it. But it is failing to stop the obliteration of even legally protected habitats, and has done precisely nothing at all on the blanket bog SACs. @EU_ENV tells me infringement proceedings are on-going.
