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4.1 Has the project achieved its objectives?
Successes and failures
Reference to section 2.1.2 shows that the restoration targets
for bog woodland were considerably exceeded (155.5% of target)
for habitat restoration and only just fell short (98% of target)
with regard to hydrological restoration. The general and site
specific research projects produced much useful information
that was of benefit during the Project and also adds to our
knowledge and understanding of bog woodlands. These reports
with wider implications will be available through the Wet
Woods web site and the SNH web site: the Age Structure of
Scots pine woodland has also been published in Scottish Forestry
(Vol. 56 No. 3 2002, p135-243). All of this was achieved well
within budget and therefore represents very good value for
money.
The early indications are that bog woodland aspects of the
Project have been particularly successful in spite of early
complications. These illustrated the problems associated with
developing programmes such as this. Parts of the areas that
have been restored were very degraded and it was difficult
to accurately assess before the work began what the situation
would be on the ground with respect to its hydrological state.
Also it was difficult to assess the ability of machines to
carry out the work and for example Map 3.2.3.f shows how much
of the work at Mondhuie had to be done manually, which is
more expensive and time consuming than machine felling. More
accurate preliminary mapping would have reduced the uncertainties
and certainly the experience of this project, and the recent
improvement in digital mapping techniques, will mean that
any future work will be based on a more accurate understanding
of the problem. However if, as was the case in parts of the
site, the timber was of very poor growth form and had become
intertwined and was therefore very difficult to harvest.
Learning from experience and interaction with others was
an integral part of the Project. As can be seen from Section
3.3 there was considerable interaction with various groups
visiting the sites and the Project Manager and other staff
associated with the Project visiting other sites and Projects.
The Conference, which was attended by over 100 delegates,
provided an excellent forum for interchange of ideas and the
presence of speakers from Sweden and Finland gave a valuable
insight into the Scandinavian experience. It was particularly
heartening to get positive feedback from the Finnish delegate
as they have considerably more experience of bog woodland
management in their country.
The work on the Conon met the original target and following
permission to extend the Project a considerable additional
area was restored. Unfortunately delays in getting formal
agreement to extend the Project meant that the additional
work planned for the Lower Spey Bay did not occur during the
required period as management considerations meant that the
work had to be undertaken when ground conditions are suitable.
Although this had an impact on total Project outputs that
part of the site is in the ownership of Forest Enterprise
and therefore its continued future positive management is
ensured.
Work on the Conon Strategy has perhaps been one of the more
difficult tasks. The successful implementation of strategies
depends on the willingness of interested parties to sign up
to them and this in turn depends on a number of other issues.
It was therefore felt that rather than try and produce something
that was agreed by all parties, and consequently likely to
be quite limited in scope, it would be more useful to provide
a framework document that could be used to guide and encourage
local initiatives. It is now proposed that a full consultation
process will commence in 2003 with a view to have having a
management forum in place by 2004. Obviously this will depend
on the co-operation of partners but as can be seen below informal
discussions about the strategy are already paying dividends.
4.2 Conservation benefits
The most obvious benefit is the area that has been restored.
Although for bog woodland habitat and hydrological restoration
have been measured separately they are of course closely linked
and it would not be possible or sensible to achieve one without
doing the other. As can be seen the work on some of the sites,
e.g. Mondhuie (Map 3.2.3.a) and North Abernethy (Map 3.2.4.b),
has built on work that has been undertaken before the Project
began but the Project has been instrumental in ensuring that
the work has been completed and in a much shorter timescale
that would have been possible otherwise. In other sites, e.g.
Inshriach, the Project has been the catalyst for the work
being undertaken. As a result there are now no major areas
within the sites that have been worked that will require further
significant areas of work. All will be monitored as part of
SNH's SCM programme and some will be subject to more specific
local monitoring to measure success and progress and to also
see if any remedial work is required and to measure the success
of that.
As a result of the Project an additional 214.3 ha of bog
woodland habitat was submitted to the EC as additions to the
Monadh Mor and Cairngorm cSAC on 29 January 2001.
Although the area associated with the restoration of the
Conon is considerably less it has nevertheless been significant
and considerably more than originally planned. The problems
associated with the Conon are more or less restricted to the
presence of exotic species as the component parts of the cSAC
are located on areas close to the River Conon where the hydrological
regime is less altered than areas back from the river. The
presence of exotics within the rest of the catchment will
mean that there is a continuing need to monitor the site and
take remedial action as necessary. However because of the
major work that has been achieved by the Project the need
for further work will be considerably reduced. Unlike the
bog woodland sites all of the River Conon is in private ownership.
However as with other sites it will be monitored as part of
SNH's SCM programme and financial aid for management will
be available through national programmes such as the Scottish
Forestry Grants Scheme, the Rural Stewardship Scheme and SNH's
own developing Natural Care Programme which is looking at
targeting top up funding to designated sites and Natura sites
in particular. The developing Conon strategy already appears
to be paying dividends. The work that has been undertaken
has raised the profile of the conservation issues and resulted
in new proposals being brought forward. The suggested restoration
of residual alluvial woodland and the development of a new
salmon spawning redd along the old river channel on Dunglass
Island is the direct result of discussions about the Conon
Strategy. An approach from a land manager about the control
of Himalayan Balsam on the lower Conon has also been inspired
by the work undertaken as part of the Project to deal with
rhododendron and Physocarpus. Both these possible future projects
show a desire to become involved in partnership working to
produce results on the ground.
4.3 Incentive/pump-priming effects
and networking
The Project has built on working relations that have developed
over a number of years of involvement with LIFE Projects under
the umbrella of the Caledonian Partnership. This meant that
there were already good working relationships between the
partners and the current Project has added to this. This close
liaison will be invaluable as other LIFE Projects, such as
the Capercaillie Project, and other joint working opportunities
arise.
During the Project the Project Manager and a number of key
personnel associated with the Project took advantage of opportunities
to visit other projects and participate in Green Week. This
all adds to the networking opportunities and there have been
a number of corresponding visits from a divers range of interested
parties. Overall these exchanges have had a significant role
in developing contacts and raising interest and awareness
that will prove to be useful in the future.
The pump-priming aspect of the Project has been of great
importance in promoting the management of Wet Wood habitats.
Bog woodlands by there very nature have little inherent socio-economic
benefits, apart from the perceived gains associated with agricultural
or silvicultural improvement, and are therefore often overlooked.
The Project has raised the awareness of the need to manage
these areas and has demonstrated that this can be done with
the careful application of management techniques that are
available. Similarly the impact on the consideration given
to the management of alluvial woodlands will be of significant
benefit as the experience gained is disseminated.
4.4 Demonstration and benefits of
EU funding
Although the partners have some years of experience of managing
bog woodlands this Project allowed the lessons learnt and
experience gained from elsewhere to be put to use at a scale
that was not previously thought to be achievable. This was
a direct result of the opportunity to make use of money available
under the LIFE Nature programme to undertake proactive work
on candidate Special Areas of Conservation. This availability
of funds is seen as a very important catalyst in ensuring
that work is undertaken and that full advantage is made of
the opportunities for networking and dissemination. It is
therefore hoped that not only will the sites directly managed
benefit from the work undertaken but others will also benefit
as a result of the ethos of partnership working that these
projects engender and that dissemination of the results will
encourage land managers elsewhere.
4.5 Socio-economic effects
The main measurable socio-economic benefit that this Project
has brought has been the work that has been carried out by
local contractors. All of the Project locations can be considered
to be economically vulnerable where opportunities for rural
employment are often at a premium. Although much of the work
is one off the Project has provided opportunities for local
contractors during this period. The nature of the work has
often meant that it is labour intensive as shown by the need
to hand fell 63 hectares at Mondhuie. Similarly the novel
nature of the work has allowed local contractors to develop
new skills which will prove to be useful as they seek new
contracts. It also benefits the sites directly as there is
now an experienced group of contractors who are used the different
requirements of conservation, as opposed to economically,
lead management.
4.6 The future: prolonging the effects
of the project/further action needed
As has been stated in the main body of the report approximately
95% of the Project area lies within land owned by Forest Enterprise,
Scottish Natural Heritage or the RSPB and therefore are covered
by existing commitments to manage these areas for nature conservation
in the long term. All of the other areas are also underpinned
by domestic legislation as they are parts of larger Sites
of Special Scientific Interest and therefore will be afforded
the protection provided by this designation. All of the sites
will be monitored as part of SNH's Site Condition Monitoring
programme and some e.g. Mondhuie will be subject to more intensive
surveying as outlined above. Although at his stage there are
not thought to be any outstanding issues it is felt that there
are sufficient systems in place to ensure that any work that
is identified as a result of monitoring will be undertaken.
The development of sustainable management for the residual
alluvial woodland of the Conon is likely to take several years.
The dissemination of SNH’s Conon Strategy to the other
stakeholders and the possible formation of a management group
over the next two years is the start of the process. The move
from merely preventing deterioration of the cSAC habitats
to their enhancement and expansion will take several woodland
cycles.
The management of alien exotics is also a long-term project.
Due to their invasive nature some species may need control
over several years or may re-invade following initial eradication.
The control of these species will therefore have to continue
for several years beyond the life of the project and will
need the support of public funding in the form of SFGS, grants
and agri-environment schemes.
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