Wildlife and the environment of Scout Moor Scout Moor and the surrounding moorland support a range of habitats and bird species that typify our upland ecosystems. The flora of this large-scale mosaic of blanket bog, dry and wet heathland, and acid grassland includes heather, bell heather, cross-leaved heath, crowberry, cotton grass and sphagnum mosses. The moorland habitats are the subjects of local and national biodiversity action plans, and the wind farm site spans two locally designated sites of nature conservation importance. Peregrine falcons, kestrels and buzzards are frequently Successful re-wetting of moorland seen hunting over the moor. Ground-nesting wading birds, including curlew, snipe and jack snipe, breed on the wetter parts of the area. Flocks of wintering and migrating golden Case study: Aushaw Moss plovers can often be encountered on South Pennine Moor. The 27-ha site at During the spring and summer, skylarks and meadow pipits Aushaw Moss in the are common on the site. Reed buntings nest in rushes to West Pennine Moors the north-west of Higher Hill, and wheatears can be seen contributes significantly on rocky outcrops and drystone walls. Summer visitors may to the remaining bog also be fortunate enough to hear the red-listed twite flying habitats in Lancashire overhead; it breeds in small numbers on the moorland edges. Damaged moorland prior and the North West. It to restoration is a site of ornithological interest and has breeding lapwings. As well as modifying the water flow from the moors and improving its capacity to act as a carbon sink, re-wetting this site is improving the botanical diversity, which Twite in turn is expected to lead to an increase in invertebrate diversity and hence improve the habitat for birds. The restoration aims to raise the water table of the area by blocking almost 24,600m of existing drains (grips) on the site using natural dams of peat. This is a long-term and important project that the HEP fund is significantly Scout Moor contributing to as a direct result of the Scout Moor wind farm. The work involved is specialised and requires a particular type Wind Farm of excavator, one that creates minimum ground pressure, and experienced peatland drivers. The water levels on the site are already rising, so much so that smaller, lighter machines had Enabling the habitat to be used for Phase 2, as the site was too wet for the heavier ones used in the first phase. enhancement plan fund Peel Energy Limited, Peel Dome, The Trafford Centre Manchester M17 8PL Email: [email protected] Tel: 0161 629 8200 Web: www.peelenergy.co.uk Kestrel www.peelenergy.co.uk SM_HEP_leaflet_6.indd 1-3 22/9/10 10:03:31 Local biodiversity action plans have been developed for such Scout Moor wind farm habitats; for example, the Lancashire Biodiversity Action Plan, which can be found at www.lancspartners.org/lbap/habitat_plans.asp. habitat enhancement The HEP fund is directed towards measures that further these plan (HEP) fund action plans. The HEP fund area Background The HEP fund is being used for appropriate projects in the upland The moorland habitats in Lancashire and Greater Manchester areas around the Scout Moor wind farm. have suffered major damage and loss through historical burning, overgrazing, drainage and pollution. This means that they have become less effective at supporting wildlife. If the peat in such areas dries out, this can contribute to carbon dioxide emissions. Reed bunting However, blanket bogs and upland habitats can be restored to provide more favourable conditions for species such as upland Projects breeding birds. Re-wetting of blanket bog that is in a degraded state will also help the bogs, such as those in the area of Scout Moor, to Since the wind farm became operational in 2008, seven projects the act as effective carbon sinks. panel of expert ecologists considered to have the highest potential to deliver maximum habitat enhancement have been awarded funding. Peel Energy has established a HEP fund for the Scout Moor wind farm to help improve the local environment. Projects that have already completed improvement works include Aushaw Moss near Darwin, Red Moss in Habergham, Worsthorne in Aims of the HEP fund Burnley, and Hempshaw’s Moss in Anglezarke. The HEP fund will enable environmental improvement works in the The projects have a strong focus on re-wetting of the currently uplands and their peripheral areas around the Scout Moor wind farm degraded blanket bog. This work will contribute towards the bog so as to conserve, restore and enhance wildlife interests. continuing to be a major carbon sink in the UK and Western Europe. The primary focus of the fund will be to re-wet the blanket bog The improvements made in this early stage of the funding scheme and to enhance other upland habitats, including the heathland. In What measures does the HEP fund cover? are widely regarded as a success by all involved. As a direct result addition, many of the species that are characteristic of these areas Payments would be considered for activities such as of funding, significant areas of the South Pennine Moors near often depend on adjacent grasslands, so the HEP fund also aims to Rossendale and Rochdale have already started to see improvements grip blocking (re-wetting) maximise the value of such areas for nature conservation. in their habitats. heather restoration livestock reduction, including fencing This enhancement is in more diverse fauna and flora, some of it through programmes to encourage the breeding of wader birds. selective control of bracken removing trees and shrubs from mires creating wet grassland and marshland. Funding Projects are funded using revenue from the operation of the Scout Moor wind farm. Payments have been made from the date the wind farm began to generate electricity, and will continue until it is decommissioned, which is expected to occur after 25 years. The total HEP fund available is £500,000. Applications for funding can be made through the Scout Moor pages Sphagnum moss of Peel Energy’s website: www.peelenergy.co.uk/scoutmoor Wheatear SM_HEP_leaflet_6.indd 4-6 22/9/10 10:03:35.