Glen Dye Moor Update

Dave Windle

Work on planning the project continues and a start has been made on the peatland restoration. Check at the following - glendyemoor.com/updates

NEMT supports this project. It is far from perfect and, in many ways, represents a missed opportunity. However, it is a vast improvement on what is currently a highly degraded grouse moor. If ever you want to see an example of how intensive grouse moor management can damage the countryside, this is it. The main environmental pluses and minuses, as we see it, are listed below.

Pluses

• Better public access, e.g. the new car park to be built at the Spittal of Glen Dye, active consideration of paths and fence crossings.
• Riparian planting to improve river health across the area.
• Many more native trees than are currently there.
• Ultimately, much improved biodiversity across the project area, if not in specific areas, e.g. commercial forestry.

Minuses

• Too much planting versus allowing natural regeneration, despite growing evidence from James Hutton Institute of the negative effects of planting on the carbon balance.
• Non-native commercial forestry.

Both these two minus points are a consequence of the project's need to start earning carbon credits as quickly as possible. There are also issues with large companies buying land for carbon offsetting paying prices that put land ownership out of the reach of community groups.

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