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LIFE - Restoring Active Blanket Bog in the Berwyn and Migneint Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) in Wales Project 2006 - 2011

This exciting project is a partnership between the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Countryside Council for Wales, Environment Agency Wales, and Forestry Commission Wales with the aim of restoring active blanket bog in the Berwyn and Migneint SACs in Wales. The 56 month project was launched on August 1st 2006, with the majority of the project funding (75%) secured from the EU LIFE-Nature programme.

The LIFE Active Blanket Bog in Wales Project aims to bring about an important, significant and sustained improvement in the condition of blanket bog in two Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) in Wales, which in turn will trigger complimentary work both locally and more widely. The two sites concerned, the Berwyn and Migneint SACs, are two of the most important SACs for blanket bog in the United Kingdom. A large area of blanket bog within these SACs will directly benefit from the project actions, which include extensive drain blocking and the eradication of invasive species. Additionally the management of blanket bog within the two SACs as a whole is expected to improve as a consequence of the project actions. It is anticipated that the project will make a major contribution to the conservation of blanket bogs in Wales, as well as across the United Kingdom.

Although large areas of blanket bog still occur in Wales, the majority have been seriously degraded through afforestation, encroachment by alien species (such as Rhododendron Rhododendron ponticum & Sitka Spruce Picea sitchensis), over grazing, drainage, and either deliberate or accidental burning.

During the 5 years of the LIFE Blanket Bog in Wales project, significant and sustained improvement in the condition of blanket bogs in key areas of two SACs in North Wales will be achieved. The SACs concerned are the Migneint-Arenig-Dduallt, and the Berwyn and South Clwyd Mountains. The project will also promote awareness and best practice in the surrounding communities and beyond.

The project will include:

- Blocking c. 90 km of drains on the Berwyn SAC

- Tree removal on 300 ha of the Migneint SAC

- Removal of Rhododendron & Sitka Spruce from 900 ha of Berwyn SAC

- Re-seed 50 ha of Berwyn SAC with heather (Calluna vulgaris)

- Creation of fire control areas in both SACs

- Buying a piece of land on the Migneint with good blanket bog habitat to conserve it's fauna and flora and to demonstrate the value of blanket bog to local people

- Extensive demonstration and advocacy work with local farmers and land managers

- Extensive outreach work with local communities and schools

- Information sharing

The majority of the work is taking place in the Berwyn SAC will be on the RSPB Lake Vyrnwy Reserve which is owned by Severn Trent Water.