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Cairngorms National Park Authority digs deep to attract peatland restoration contractors


By Lorna Thompson

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THE Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) is digging deep to make peatland restoration work more attractive for contractors.

The CNPA's Peatland ACTION Officers have facilitated more then 2,000 hectares of peatland restoration since 2014 – but these efforts need to be scaled up to address the nature and climate crisis and contribute to the Scottish Government net zero carbon emissions targets set for 2045.

In April, the CNPA became a direct delivery partner of the Scottish Government / NatureScot Peatland ACTION programme. The authority is now able to directly award funding for peatland restoration projects within the Cairngorms National Park.

Its team of Peatland ACTION officers provide guidance and support in designing and delivering peatland restoration projects.

However, a major hurdle in scaling up efforts is contractor availability in the local area.

Peatland restoration, especially in challenging upland locations and on sites with complex erosion, requires skilled contractors who can work safely and deliver the best outcomes in restoring degraded peatland habitats.

Contracting companies may be put off from branching into restoration work due to the expense of purchasing or adapting machines for working on deep peat, harsh conditions, uncertainty regarding the likelihood of future work, and difficulties in recruiting the right team.

Peatland restoration, especially in challenging upland locations and on sites with complex erosion, requires skilled contractors.
Peatland restoration, especially in challenging upland locations and on sites with complex erosion, requires skilled contractors.

The CNPA plans to award multi-year funding packages, providing confidence for contractors and continuity in work so that they can see the impact of their hard work, dedication and commitment to climate action.

Over the next three years the CNPA Peatland ACTION programme plans to award £10 million in funding awards for peatland restoration, supporting a host of green rural jobs directly in peatland restoration and many more in the wider supply chain.

It is also running new entrant programmes to help train up local civil and plant businesses, which are diversifying into peatland restoration.

This is providing further green rural jobs and helping to tackle the current shortage of skilled practitioners. This new entrant programme aims to enable more companies to become skilled in delivering drain-blocking work using the latest techniques.

CNPA Peatland ACTION project officer Daisy Whytock said: "We have two 'new entrants' sites operational at the moment and are working with four companies in total.

"It's exciting to see the enthusiasm the machine operators bring to the job, and how quickly they can master the drain-blocking techniques.

"All going well, we hope to see each of the new entrants tendering for bigger projects and eventually tackling eroding sites."

Meanwhile, peatland conservation organisations and experts from across the world have joined together with the United Nations Environment Programme’s Global Peatlands Initiative (GPI) to pledge their collective commitment to tacking climate change.

The collaboration will highlight the importance of peatlands to the planet and focus on the different ways that organisations are working towards their conservation, restoration and sustainable management.


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