NATIONAL PEATLANDS STRATEGY 2015 National Parks & Wildlife Service 7 Ely Place, Dublin 2, D02 TW98, Ireland t: +353-1-888 3242 e:
[email protected] w: www.npws.ie Main Cover photograph: Derrinea Bog, Co. Roscommon Photographs courtesy of: NPWS, Bord na Móna, Coillte, RPS, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, National Library of Ireland, Friends of the Irish Environment and the IPCC. MANAGING IRELAND’S PEATLANDS A National Peatlands Strategy 2015 Roundstone Bog, Co. Galway CONTENTS PART 1 PART 3 1 INTRODUCTION 004 6 IMPLEMENTATION AND MONITORING 060 1.1 Peatlands in Ireland 005 1.2 Protected Peatlands in Ireland 007 APPENDICES 2 THE CHANGING VIEW APPENDIX 1 OF IRISH PEATLANDS 008 SUMMARY OF PRINCIPLES 2.1 A New Understanding 009 AND ACTIONS 062 2.2 Seeking Balance between Traditional and Hidden Values 009 2.3 Turf cutting controversy – APPENDIX 2 a catalyst for change 011 GLOSSARY 070 2.4 The Way Forward 013 APPENDIX 3 PART 2 EU DIRECTIVES REFERRED TO IN THE STRATEGY 076 3 DEVELOPMENT OF THE STRATEGY 014 APPENDIX 4 4 VISION AND VALUES 018 LINKS & FURTHER INFORMATION 080 5 MANAGING OUR PEATLANDS: PRINCIPLES, POLICIES AND ACTIONS 024 5.1 Overview 024 5.2 Existing Uses 025 5.3 Peatlands and Climate Change 034 5.4 Air Quality 036 5.5 Protected Peatlands Sites 037 5.6 Peatlands outside Protected Sites 045 5.7 Responsible Exploitation 048 5.8 Restoration & Rehabilitation of Non-Designated Sites 050 5.9 Water Quality, Water Framework Directive and Flooding 050 5.10 Public Awareness & Education 055 5.11 Tourism & Recreational Use 058 5.12 Unauthorised Dumping 059 5.13 Research 059 PART 1 004 1.