The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB)

The RSPB’s project, near United Utilities’ Dove Stone reservoir in the Peak District National Park, will restore 3,000ha of 5,000 year-old degraded, eroding upland bog to hydrologically intact blanket bog in SSSI favourable condition, supporting the full range of species for which the site is designated. It will involve four restoration phases: protection from livestock grazing, stabilization, capital works to aid rewetting, and re-vegetation to encourage natural recovery.

Dove Stone represents more than 1% of England’s resource of UKBAP blanket bog habitat which, once lost, cannot be replaced. It also comprises four other UKBAP habitats and 10 Local BAP habitats. The project will deliver 1.3% and 100% respectively of the UKBAP and Local BAP targets for blanket bog management to improve the habitat’s condition. This will have additional water quality and environmental benefits as the restored blanket bog will capture significant amounts of CO², instead of releasing this in large quantities and contributing to climate change - the South Pennines’ damaged Blanket Bog is reportedly presently exporting more carbon than all of the UK’s cars!

As regards UKBAP species, the project will target an increase in the number of breeding pairs of Curlews, whilst taking action to help arrest the sharp decline of the Water vole and to support foraging/nesting for the Twite. In all, twenty further BAP species of flora and fauna are expected to gain from the project, including two potential UKBAP avian colonisers, the Nightjar and Wood warbler.