The works relate to forestry operations within RSPB’s Dyke plantation and are shown on the associated maps. The work itself forms part of the 5 years “Flows to the Future” project which is being run by the Peatland Partnership.

The primary drivers of this work relate to the blocks forming part of the RSPB Forsinard flows nature reserve and to the need to:

— restore specific areas of open blanket bog and associated habitats from recent forestry on deep peat soils which will help government meet habitat restoration targets and deliver for Scotland’s National Peatland Plan,

— protect the massive carbon store in the peat soils below the trees,

— mitigate climate change and improve long term water quality,

— remove damaging forest “edge effects” on birds and habitats of the adjacent EU designated Natura sites.

The works form part of a continuing programme of targeted forest to bog restoration which has been carried out at Forsinard by RSPB since 1997 with the long term aim of restoring the blanket bogs of the flows back to their pre-1970 naturally treeless state. Areas of forestry within the flows which lie off deep peat soils and which are not exerting negative edge effects on the important habitat areas are likely to continue as woodlands. Areas which are damaging, such as those forming part of this application, need to be removed as soon as practical to minimise progressive damage to deep peat soils, natural vegetation, aquatic environments, roads networks and to maximise the speed of habitat and carbon store /sequestration recovery. There is a large area of even aged forestry in this area of the flows and phasing felling /age restructuring of it requires that some areas are felled ahead of maturity /windblow danger. Felling blocks such as these ahead of full rotation will provide timber to support new local processing facilities being developed and to even out the supply of timber and prevent future gluts.